Take a Look at Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg's Historic Role and Innovative Journey to Date Since early 2008, Sandberg has helped transform Facebook into an advertising behemoth.
By Amanda Breen
Sheryl Sandberg became a household name after teaming up with Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg in 2008, and rightfully so: She was a force behind the company's transformation from pure social media site into advertising behemoth.
Recently rebranded as Meta, the company is increasingly ramping up its efforts to enter the metaverse, and it remains one of the biggest players in tech today.
But in June, Sandberg announced she was leaving her position as chief operating officer at Meta. In the fall, Javier Olivan, the company's chief growth officer, will assume the role of COO.
Related: Facebook Officially Changes Its Name to Meta
Here's a look back at Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg's historic role and innovative journey to date.
Why is Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg stepping down?
In a recent interview with The New York Times, Sandberg said that she'd only planned to be at the company for about five years, though she ended up there for 14 years.
She told the Times that her departure from Meta will allow her to focus on her personal philanthropy and her foundation, Lean In, and that she plans to marry television producer Tom Bernthal.
Two of Sandberg's employees told the outlet that the decision to leave the company was her own, and that she called Zuckerberg over the weekend to inform him of it.
In a Facebook post, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote, "Sheryl architected our ads business, hired great people, forged our management culture, and taught me how to run a company," adding that her departure marked "the end of an era."
Sandberg will continue to serve on Meta's board.
Related: The House Where Mark Zuckerberg Created Facebook (Now Meta) Just Hit the Market for Millions
What is Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg's net worth and how did she make her money?
Sandberg received her AB at Harvard University and her MBA from Harvard Business School. She went on to serve as chief of staff to Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers under President Bill Clinton, and she built a reputation for herself in Silicon Valley by helping Google expand its targeted ads business.
At Facebook, Sandberg helped develop the social media giant's advertising formats for desktop computers and, ultimately, built out the company's mobile advertising strategy.
In 2013, Sandberg published feminist book Lean In, a guide for working women, and in 2017, she co-published Option B, with Wharton professor Adam Grant. Option B explores the aftermath of the sudden death of her husband Dave Goldberg in 2015.
Per Forbes, Sandberg has a net worth of $1.6 billion.
Related: 21 Things You Probably Didn't Know About Sheryl Sandberg
Who is Sheryl Sandberg's husband Tom Bernthal and what does he do?
Sandberg has been married twice before, to businessman Brian Kraff from 1993-1994 and to businessman Dave Goldberg from 2004-2015, with whom she had two children.
Sandberg was introduced to Bernthal by her brother in law Rob Goldberg in 2019. During the pandemic, Bernthal and his three children moved from Southern California to Sandberg's Silicon Valley home.
In a Facebook post announcing her departure from the company, Sandberg noted that while she's not entirely certain what her post-Meta future holds, she and Bernthal will get married this summer and parent their five children together.
Since then, Sandberg and Bernthal have tied the knot. The couple got married last weekend, celebrating in Teton Village near Jackson Hole, Wyoming; a reportedly western theme paid homage to Sandberg and Bernthal's love of country music.
Related: Sheryl Sandberg, Lean In 2.0 and Corporate Gender Bias
