Sheryl Sandberg, who helped to transform Facebook from a tech start-up into a digital advertising empire, will step down from the board of Meta, Facebook’s parent company.
“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,” Sandberg wrote in a Facebook post.
She stepped down as chief operating officer of Meta in 2022 but remained a member of the company board. She had served as COO of Facebook, and then Meta, for 14-and-a-half years and as a board member for 12 years.
Key Facebook force Sheryl Sandberg stepping down
Key Facebook force Sheryl Sandberg stepping down
“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,” Sandberg wrote.
Sandberg said she will continue to serve as an adviser to the company.
Last year Sandberg announced that she was launching a girls’ leadership programme through her foundation to respond to what she calls stubborn gender inequities. The programme includes a middle-school curriculum as well as resources for adults.
Lean In is a project of the Sandberg Goldberg Bernthal Family Foundation, the private foundation Sandberg started with her late husband, Dave Goldberg.
