As Meta gradually evolves from Facebook and focuses on the next stage of digital connection, it will do so without one of the company’s top executives, with COO Sheryl Sandberg announcing today that she will be leaving the company. business in the coming months.
In a long post on (of course) Facebook, Sandberg gave an overview of his experiences working at The Social Network over the past 14 years, with Sandberg joining the company in 2008, just four years after Mark Zuckerberg created the first iteration of the app in a Harvard dorm.
Sandberg played a key role in the development of Meta’s business, overseeing the introduction of its advertising infrastructure and acting as a central figure in almost every major release for the company since.
The experience, predictably, had a profound influence on Sandberg, who by this time also raised her children, lost her husband in a freak accident, and published a bestselling book.
According to Sandberg:
“To sit alongside Mark for these 14 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime. Mark is a true visionary and caring leader. He sometimes says we grew up together, and we did. He was only 23 and I was already 38 when we met, but together we have been through the ups and downs of running this business, as well as his marriage to the gorgeous Priscilla, the heartbreak of their miscarriages and the joy of their deliveries. , the sudden loss of Dave, my engagement to Tom, and much more. In the critical moments of my life, in the highest highs and in the depths of the true lows, I never had to turn to Mark, because he was already there.”
It’s hard to gauge the true extent of Sandberg’s influence on Meta and on Zuckerberg himself, with his experience and perspective providing critical guidance to the company through his various iterations and controversies.
This has often left Sandberg as a key target for Meta’s many critics, which Sandberg also reflects on in his release note:
“The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days. To say it hasn’t always been easy is an understatement. But it should be tough. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have a responsibility to make them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe.Just as I wholeheartedly believe in our mission, our industry, and the tremendously positive power of connecting people, me and people dedicated staff at Meta deeply felt our responsibilities.
In addition to directly addressing these various challenges, Sandberg has also been a sounding board for Zuckerberg, with their offices placed next to each other for most of his time at the company.
In that sense, Sandberg’s influence was probably greater than his own role, with Zuckerberg being thrust into one of the most important and powerful jobs in the business at a very young age.
It is this guidance and wisdom that the company will likely miss the most, especially as it enters another era of uncertainty and related challenges. The Metaverse holds great promise, but also enormous risk, and Meta will have to get it right to ensure it doesn’t exacerbate the damage in its quest for dominance.
The company doesn’t have a great track record on this front, but the lessons it has learned over time are rooted in the experience of its leaders, and in that sense Sandberg’s exit will be a major loss.
“I am beyond grateful to the thousands of brilliant and dedicated people at Meta with whom I have had the privilege of working over the past 14 years. Every day someone does something that stops me cold and reminds me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such great colleagues.This team is filled with exceptionally talented people who have poured their hearts and minds into building products that have had a profound impact on the world.
In response, Zuckerberg also shared an equally lengthy post paying tribute to his second-in-command, while noting that Sandberg will continue to serve on Meta’s board after stepping down from his day-to-day management role in the coming months. come. . .
Zuckerberg says Javier Olivan will take over as COOalthough the role itself will be reduced, reflecting the importance of Sandberg’s work.
Again, it’s hard to say, as an outsider, what this will mean for Meta in the future, but Sandberg has, for the most part, seemed entirely driven by improving Meta’s systems and striving to remediate potential damage wherever possible, while navigating a rapidly growing business. This is also not to excuse Sandberg from Meta’s various flaws, but again, as with Zuckerberg, Sandberg bears the scars of Meta’s past missteps, making him an invaluable trading resource and a great subtraction from his ranks.
So what happens after leaving one of the most important roles in one of the most influential companies in the world? Sandberg says she will take time to focus on her foundation and philanthropic workbefore assessing what, if anything, is on the cards for his career.
And yes, I’ve read more than one industry analyst speculating that Elon Musk may be looking to tap Sandberg to become Twitter’s next CEO, which I don’t see happening, especially given the Sandberg’s Commitment to Meta’s Board of Directors. But it’s an interesting perspective, one that speaks to the respect Sandberg has earned growing Meta as a company.
Will Meta be the same without Sandberg? Probably not, but right now, in the midst of his biggest change, it seems like it’s time for Sandberg to step aside and focus on something new.
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