Sheryl Sandberg

Guide Note:

Sheryl Sandberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Facebook. Formerly the Vice President of Global Sales and Operations at Google, Sandberg was responsible for advertisement sales and ad-related Google products, most notably Adwords.

Fast Facts:

1. Began serving as COO at Facebook on March 24, 2008
2. Graduated summa cum laude in Economics from Harvard University
3. Served as the Chief of Staff for the U.S. Treasury Department under Bill Clinton
4. Joined Google in 2001
5. Responsible for Google's Adwords and Adsense programs

The March 4, 2008 announcement of her departure from Google made an impact on the search giant's then-weakened stock prices, sending them even lower than previous values. During her 6-year tenure at Google Sanderberg strengthened her reputation as an effective administrator, and in 2007, she was named one of the 50 most powerful women by Fortune Magazine.

Some perceived her move to Facebook as symoblic of the rise of Facebook and the downward slide of Google, but on a larger scale, the rise of social networking and Web 2.0 culture over the algorithm-driven environment of the old internet.

In addition to holding high-ranking positions in two of the largest and most visible web sites, Sandberg's career has been a distinguished one since the start of her college career. A graduate of Harvard University and Harvard Business School, she worked for various government agencies, including the World Bank, the Secretary of the Treasury's office, and at the management consulting firm McKinsey & Co. After her move to Facebook, she continued to serve on the board of Ehealthinsurance.com. Sandberg has also been involved in charitable and non-profit projects, including Google's Google.org, the division of Google that aims to provide sustainable solutions to problems relating to poverty, energy, and environmental issues.