Who was the first female member of Facebook's board of directors?

Sheryl Sandberg was the first female member of Facebook’s board of directors. She joined the board in 2012, becoming its eighth member and the first woman elected to it.

Sandberg had joined Facebook as chief operating officer in 2008 after working at Google, where she was vice president of global online sales and operations. At Facebook, she helped build the company’s advertising and sales operations, a major part of its transition from a fast-growing social site into a profitable business.

A common mix-up is confusing Sandberg’s board appointment with her hiring as COO: she became COO four years before joining the board. She remained a director after stepping down as COO in 2022, but announced in 2024 that she would not seek re-election. Her board tenure therefore lasted about 12 years.