Sheryl Sandberg set to leave Meta board, will become adviser

Former Meta Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg announced Wednesday that she will step down from the company’s board of directors this year, shifting roles to an internal adviser.

Sandberg, who served as the company’s COO from 2008 to 2022, is leaving to focus on philanthropic work but will remain on the board to “help ensure a successful transition.”

Current company leadership has “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,” she wrote in a Facebook post.

“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,” she wrote. “I will always be grateful to Mark [Zuckerberg] 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.”

Her board term is set to end in May.

Zuckerberg thanked Sandberg in a comment on the post “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,” he added.

Sandberg’s tenure at Meta saw the company grow from a social media site into a multimedia platform and tech giant. Much of her philanthropic work has focused on women’s issues, including the treatment of women in the workplace, female leadership and support for sexual violence victims.