As Meta is slowly evolving from Facebook, and focusing on the next phase of digital connectivity, it will do without one of the company’s key leaders, COO Sheryl Sandberg is announcing today that He will leave the company in the next few months.
In a long post (of course) FacebookSandberg provided an overview of his experience working for The Social Network over the past 14 years. Sandberg joined the company in 2008, just four years after Mark Zuckerberg’s first replay of the app in a dorm room at Harvard.
Sandberg Meta has been instrumental in the development of the business, in overseeing the launch of its advertising infrastructure, and as a central figure in almost every major update of the company.
The experience, as you might expect, had a profound effect on Sandberg, who also raised his children at the time, She lost her husband in a strange accidentAnd Has published a best-selling book.
Such as Sandberg:
“Sitting next to Mark for these 14 years has been a lifelong honor and privilege. Mark is a true dreamer and a caring leader. He sometimes said that we grew up together, and we have. She was only 23 and I was already 38 when we met, but we went through the huge ups and downs of running this company together, as well as her marriage to the great Priscilla, the sadness of their abortion and the joy of giving birth to their child. , Dave’s sudden loss, my engagement to Tom and much more. In the critical moments of my life, at the highest heights and the depths of true humility, I never had to go back to Mark, because he was already there.“
The real significance of Sandberg’s influence in Meta is hard to guess, and Zuckerberg himself, with his experience and perspective, provides critical direction through the company’s various iterations and debates.
This often leaves Sandberg as a key target for many critics of the Met, as Sandberg reflects in his exit notes:
“The controversy around social media has changed beyond recognition since day one. It’s not always easy to say a little. But it must be difficult. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have a responsibility to make them in a way that protects privacy and protects people. Just as I sincerely believe in our mission, in our industry, and in the irresistible positive energy that connects people, I and those dedicated to Meta have deeply felt our responsibilities.
In addition to navigating these various challenges directly, Sandberg has also been a sounding board for Zuckerberg, with most of his time at the company having their desks next to each other.
In this sense, Sandberg’s influence is likely to have been exacerbated by his own role, with Zuckerberg being employed at a very young age in one of the most powerful corporate jobs.
This is the direction and wisdom that the company will probably miss the most, especially as it moves into another era of uncertainty, and challenges to connectivity. Metaverse has significant promise, but there are also huge risks, and Meta must ensure that it does not exacerbate the damage in its quest for dominance.
The company does not have a great record on this front, but the lessons it has learned over time have been embedded in the experience of its leaders, and in this sense, Sandberg’s departure would be a great loss.
“I am grateful to the thousands of brilliant, dedicated people I have met over the last 14 years. Every day someone does something that stops me on track and reminds me how lucky I am to be surrounded by such wonderful colleagues. This team is made up of extraordinarily talented people who have poured their hearts and minds into creating products that have had a profound effect on the world. “
Zuckerberg also shared a response Similarly long post Paying tribute to his second-in-command, it was noted that Sandberg will continue to serve on the board of directors of Meter in the coming months after moving from his day-to-day management role.
Zuckerberg said Xavier Olivan would take over as chief operating officerAlthough the role itself will be diminished, it reflects the significance of Sandberg’s work.
Again, it’s hard to say, as an outsider, what that would mean for Meta to move forward, but Sandberg, for the most part, seemed to be driven entirely by improving meta systems, and working to deal with potential losses where possible, as well as navigating faster. Doing. Growing business. This is not to excuse Sandberg from the various errors in the meter, but again, like Zuckerberg, the Sandberg meter bears the brunt of past mistakes, which makes him an invaluable business resource and a big minus from his position.
So what happens after leaving the most important role in one of the most influential companies in the world? Sandberg says he will take the time to focus Its foundation And public worksBefore the assessment, if anything else, is on the card for his career.
And yes, I’ve read multiple industry analysts speculating that Elon Musk could tap Sandberg to become the next CEO of Twitter, which I don’t see happening, especially because of Sandberg’s commitment to the meta board. But it is also an interesting prospect that speaks to the respect that Sandberg gained during his time developing Meta as a business.
Would Meta be the same without Sandberg? Probably not, but at the moment, in the midst of his biggest change, it seems like the right time for Sandberg to move on and focus on something new.
