By Sam Boughedda
Sheryl Sandberg, Meta's chief operating officer, will step down from her role at the company, it was announced Wednesday.
Sandberg joined Meta, then Facebook (NASDAQ:FB), in 2008 as CEO Mark Zuckerberg's second in command, helping to transform the company into the tech powerhouse it is today.
"Today, I am sharing the news that after 14 years, I will be leaving Meta," Sandberg said in a post on Facebook. "I am beyond grateful to the thousands of brilliant, dedicated people at Meta with whom I have had the privilege of working over the last 14 years."
Javier Olivan, Meta's chief growth officer, will take over as COO.
Meta has faced significant scrutiny in recent years, but Sandberg said, "The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects privacy and keeps people safe. Just as I believe wholeheartedly in our mission, our industry, and the overwhelmingly positive power of connecting people, I and the dedicated people of Meta have felt our responsibilities deeply."
CEO Zuckerberg said in his own Facebook post: "Looking forward, I don't plan to replace Sheryl's role in our existing structure. I'm not sure that would be possible since she's a superstar who defined the COO role in her own unique way.
"But even if it were possible, I think Meta has reached the point where it makes sense for our product and business groups to be more closely integrated, rather than having all the business and operations functions organized separately from our products."
Meta shares dipped 2.63% Wednesday.