End of an Era as Meta's Sheryl Sandberg Resigns as COO

After serving as chief operating officer for 14 years, Meta’s Sheryl Sandberg is stepping down to focus on her “foundation and philanthropic work.”

Sandberg joined Meta (then Facebook) 14 years ago and helped turn it into the advertising and social media behemoth it is today. During that time, Sandberg was Mark Zuckerberg’s right hand, supporting his vision of what he wanted the company to become.

“Sitting by Mark’s side for these 14 years has been the honor and privilege of a lifetime,” Sandberg wrote in the post outlining her departure. “Mark is a true visionary and a caring leader. He sometimes says that we grew up together, and we have.”

In a reply to her post, Zuckerberg had equally high praise for Sandberg’s accomplishments and her role in making the company what it is.

“The end of an era. In the 14 years we’ve worked together, you’ve architected our ads business, hired great people, forged our management culture, and taught me how to run a company,” wrote Zuckerberg. “I’m going to miss working alongside you every day, but grateful to have you as a lifelong friend. Thank you for all you’ve done for me and my family, for our company, and for millions of people around the world. You’re a superstar.”

According to Bloomberg, Sandberg will remain on Meta’s board. The company also made it clear that her departure from the role of COO has nothing to do with the investigation into whether she improperly used her position to torpedo news stories about her then-boyfriend, Activision CEO Bobby Kotick.