Facebook Gets its First Woman Director

Sheryl Sandberg, CEO of Facebook inducted into company’s board of directors

By Team FI

Facebook, the social networking giant that had come under immense criticism since 2011 for not having any women on its Board of Directors, seems to have got the message.

The company announced on Monday that Sheryl Sandberg, its Chief Operating Officer, has joined its board. “Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years,” said Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook.

In April 2012, Ultraviolet, a women’s rights group in the US, declared it “shameful” that despite studies showing how women have contributed to the company’s global success, it had not inducted any women into its board of directors. The majority of Facebook users – 58% – are women who are also responsible for 62% of the sharing that happens on the network and make up 71% of the daily fan activity on the site which is a huge source of revenue for the company. Ultraviolet had launched a global campaign to convince Facebook to rectify the situation before the company went public in May.

The first woman on Facebook’s hitherto male only board, Sandberg oversees Facebook’s business operations including sales, marketing, business development, legal, human resources, public policy and communications according to a press note released by the company. Prior to Facebook, Sandberg was vice president of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google. She has also served as Chief of Staff for the United States Treasury Department under President Bill Clinton and began her career as an economist with the World Bank. Sandberg also serves on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Women for Women International, the Center for Global Development and V-Day.

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