Who was Facebook’s first chief operating officer, appointed in 2008?

Sheryl Sandberg became Facebook’s first chief operating officer in 2008.

Sandberg joined Facebook in March 2008 after working at Google, where she had been involved in online advertising and sales operations. At Facebook, she built the company’s business operations and helped develop its advertising model.

Her role complemented Mark Zuckerberg’s position as chief executive. Zuckerberg focused heavily on product and engineering, while Sandberg helped turn Facebook’s growing audience into a sustainable business. She remained COO until 2022.

Sandberg is sometimes confused with other prominent women in technology, including Susan Wojcicki, who led YouTube, and Marissa Mayer, who worked at Google and Yahoo. Sandberg’s Facebook title was chief operating officer, not chief executive officer.