Sheryl Sandberg to Step Down as Meta COO This Fall After 14-Year Run

J. Clara Chan
·3 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down as Meta’s chief operating officer this fall after a 14-year career at the company, the executive said Wednesday.

Sandberg, who will continue to serve on Meta’s board of directors, will be succeeded by Meta’s chief growth officer, Javier Olivan, according to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

More from The Hollywood Reporter

“When I took this job in 2008, I hoped I would be in this role for five years. Fourteen years later, it is time for me to write the next chapter of my life,” Sandberg said in a Facebook post. “I am not entirely sure what the future will bring — I have learned no one ever is. But I know it will include focusing more on my foundation and philanthropic work, which is more important to me than ever given how critical this moment is for women.”

In a separate Facebook post about Sandberg’s departure, Zuckerberg said Olivan would be taking on a “more traditional COO role” that would be “focused internally and operationally” in comparison to Sandberg, who has been the most high-profile executive at the company aside from Zuckerberg.

Sandberg, who joined Meta — then called Facebook — from Google, was instrumental in transforming the company into a profitable business with tremendous influence. She has also been outspoken about the experiences of women in the workplace, particularly with her 2013 book Lean In, which spurred on a movement that later became fodder for discussion around the book’s brand of feminism.

But in the last few years of her career, Sandberg has also faced scrutiny for her leadership as Meta’s suite of apps — including the flagship site Facebook — have contributed to the spread of harmful misinformation. She was also the subject of an internal review after the Wall Street Journal reported in April that Sandberg pressured the digital version of the Daily Mail not to publish a piece about her former boyfriend and Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick. (A Meta spokesperson told the WSJ that Sandberg “never threatened the MailOnline’s business relationship with Facebook in order to influence an editorial decision.”)

In her post announcing her upcoming departure, Sandberg noted how the “debate around social media has changed beyond recognition” since she first joined the company.

“To say it hasn’t always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe. Just as I believe wholeheartedly in our mission, our industry, and the overwhelmingly positive power of connecting people, I and the dedicated people of Meta have felt our responsibilities deeply,” Sandberg wrote. “I know that the extraordinary team at Meta will continue to work tirelessly to rise to these challenges and keep making our company and our community better. I also know that our platforms will continue to be an engine of growth for the businesses around the world that rely on us.”

In thanking Sandberg for her work, Zuckerberg described her as “a superstar who defined the COO role in her own unique way.” “I’m sad that the day is coming when I won’t get to work as closely with Sheryl,” Zuckerberg wrote. “But more than anything, I’m grateful for everything she has done to build Meta. She has done so much for me, for our community, and for the world — and we’re all better off for it.”

Click here to read the full article.