Who is Sheryl Sandberg, one of the most important executives to leave Facebook?

At the end of 2007, three years after the creation of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg is still struggling to realize the potential of this platform and is struggling to find a way to make it profitable. For him, you have to create something interesting. The benefits will follow on their own.

This is when Sheryl Sandberg comes into play and will revolutionize Facebook’s business model. To put it simply, you could say that it was she who made Facebook (now Meta) the tech juggernaut we know. Just that! Today, Sheryl Sandberg leaves her position as COO (chief operating officer) of Meta after 14 years alongside Mark Zuckerberg. The end of an era for Facebook.

Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook’s shadow woman

Today, Meta is unquestionably one of the biggest tech groups in the world, like Amazon, Google or even Microsoft. Since 2004, Facebook has grown a lot. The firm has acquired, among others, Instagram and WhatsApp. It changed its name to Meta last fall. If Mark Zuckerberg has his share of responsibility, we often forget his right arm in the shadows. Without Sheryl Sandberg, Facebook would surely never have had the weight it has today.

Before joining Facebook as chief operating officer in 2008, Sheryl Sandberg was vice president of international online sales and operations at Google. In particular, she played a role in setting up Google.org and AdWords. Before that again, it went through McKinsey and the United States Treasury. After joining Mark Zuckerberg’s team, she understands the gold they have on hand and is determined to make the most of it.

As a result, it shapes Facebook’s business model, bases it on online advertising and makes the social network viable and profitable. Last year alone, online advertising brought in no less than $115 billion for the company. Today, Meta controls 25% of the online advertising market.

For fourteen years, Sheryl Sandberg ran the business side of Facebook. This allowed Mark Zuckerberg to focus on engineering the business. While the founder of the social network is not particularly comfortable in public, it was she, too, who took on the role of face (and crisis manager) of Facebook when necessary. One thinks in particular of the Cambridge Analytica data scandal, extremely publicized in 2018.

A woman in the shadows, but a woman all the same. Sheryl Sandberg has been consistently cited as one of the most influential and powerful women in tech for several years. In 2012, she was appointed to the board of directors of Facebook, where she is the only woman to sit. At the same time, she was appointed to the board of directors of the Walt Disney Company in 2009. Google, Meta, Disney: Sheryl Sandberg is powerful.

Without her, Meta would not have the ascendancy that we know today. However, when we think of the figure of Facebook, we think more easily of Mark Zuckerberg.

To believe the wall street journalSheryl Sandberg allegedly used her position to protect her relationship with the Activision CEO from British tabloids and to promote her book Option B and its charitable foundation lean-in.

The end of an era for Meta

This August 1, 2022 marks the end of an era for Meta. Thus, the company bids farewell to Sheryl Sandberg as COO. Nonetheless, the former chief operating officer will continue to sit on the company’s board. Javier Olivan takes over. However, he will have slightly different responsibilities than those of Sheryl Sandberg for almost fifteen years. Indeed, Javier Olivan should have a more traditional position.

The departure of Sheryl Sandberg is certainly a blow for Meta, and Mark Zuckerberg. Indeed, the group is still suffering the consequences of the Facebook Files. For its part, the stock market price of the company is in free fall and the turnover is falling. But Meta will have to do without it. If the departure of Meta’s director of operations is not justified, we can make the connection with the changes that have been taking place in the group for a year and the arrival of the metaverse.

It remains to be seen what the future holds for Mark Zuckerberg’s company. Change is in the air, but will the company be able to stay the course? Nothing is less sure. Especially since new social networks are overshadowing the Meta empire and regulations concerning online advertising are increasing.