Sheryl Sandberg Announces Departure from Meta’s Board After 12 Years

Sheryl Sandberg, the former Chief Operating Officer of Meta Platforms, announced in a Facebook post on Wednesday her decision to step down from the company’s board of directors after her term concludes in May.

Sheryl Sandberg expressed her confidence in the company by stating, “Meta business is strong and well-positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away.” She will serve as an informal advisor to the company.

In a post to her personal Facebook page on Wednesday, she said “With a heart filled with gratitude and a mind filled with memories, I let the Meta board know that I will not stand for re-election this May. After I left my role as COO, I remained on the board to help ensure a successful transition. Under Mark’s leadership, Javi Olivan, Justin Osofsky, Nicola Mendelsohn, and their teams have proven beyond a doubt that the Meta business is strong and well-positioned for the future, so this feels like the right time to step away. Going forward, I will serve as an advisor to the company, and I will always be there to help the Meta teams.

Serving as Facebook’s – and then Meta’s – COO for 14 ½ years and a board member for 12 years has been the opportunity of a lifetime. I will always be grateful to Mark for believing in me and for his partnership and friendship; he is that truly once-in-a-generation visionary leader and he is equally amazing as a friend who stays by your side through the good times and the bad. I will always be grateful to my colleagues and teammates at Meta for all the years of working side by side and all they taught me. And I am particularly grateful to my fellow Meta board members for their lasting friendships, the guidance they provided me for so many years, and their stewardship of products that mean so much to people all over the world.”

Responding to her announcement, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed he looks forward to a “new chapter together.”

“Thank you, Sheryl, for the extraordinary contributions you have made to our company and community over the years. Your dedication and guidance have been instrumental in driving our success, and I am grateful for your unwavering commitment to me and Meta over the years. I look forward to this next chapter together,” Zuckerberg commented in her Facebook post.

About Sheryl Sandberg Tenure in Meta

Sheryl Sandberg played a significant role in Meta’s leadership, serving as the Chief Operating Officer for more than 14 years and, in addition to 12 years on its board. She resigned as Meta’s COO in 2022.

Once second-in-command to founder Mark Zuckerberg, Sandberg was a prominent figure at Meta and lead architect of the company’s often-criticised ads-based business model.

Throughout Meta’s numerous controversies, Sandberg remained a dedicated defender of the company, consistently asserting that the leadership team was learning from mistakes and refining tools to combat harmful content.

Before her tenure at Meta, Sandberg held notable positions, including Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google and Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton.

A Harvard University graduate, Sandberg is also known for her authorship of several books, including the 2013 feminist manifesto “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.”

A related post reported that Meta spent $6.6 million on private jet flights for Mark Zuckerberg and Sheryl Sandberg in 2022. However, Meta stopped covering Sandberg’s travel expenses after her resignation as COO in September 2022, as The Wall Street Journal reported. Notably, the board extended the provision of private security for Sandberg until the end of June 2023, citing “continuing threats to her safety,” according to Reuters.

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