Former Meta chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg announced on Wednesday that she is leaving the corporate’s board of directors.
“With a heart full of gratitude and a mind full of memories, I let the Meta board know that I is not going to stand for reelection this May,” Sandberg said in an announcement.
“After I left my role as COO, I remained on the board to assist 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 powerful and well-positioned for the long run, so this appears like the correct time to step away. Going forward, I’ll function an advisor to the corporate, and I’ll at all times be there to assist the Meta teams.”
Sandberg, the founding father of “Lean In” and former chief operating officer of Facebook, joined the social media giant in 2008 after spending nearly seven years at Google. In 2012, she became a board member at the corporate.
Sandberg announced her departure from Meta in mid-2022, following multiple controversies that plagued the corporate and tarnished its fame amongst users, lawmakers and investors.
The corporate has also been the topic of antitrust investigations and was scrutinized for its lack of effort to combat hate on its platform.
“Serving as Facebook’s – after which Meta’s – COO for 14 ½ years and a board member for 12 years has been the chance of a lifetime. I’ll at all times be grateful to Mark for believing in me and for his partnership and friendship; he’s that really once-in-a-generation visionary leader and he’s equally amazing as a friend who stays by your side through the great times and the bad,” Sandberg continued.
“I’ll at all times be grateful to my colleagues and teammates at Meta for all of the years of working side by side and all they taught me. And I’m particularly grateful to my fellow Meta board members for his or her lasting friendships, the guidance they provided me for thus a few years, and their stewardship of products that mean a lot to people everywhere in the world.”