Who is Javier Olivan? Spaniard who replaces Sheryl Sandberg as Meta's next COO

Before joining Facebook in late 2007 as head of international growth, Olivan, 44, worked at Japan's NTT and Siemens.

1 min read . Updated: 02 Jun 2022, 10:39 AM IST Livemint

Facebook-parent Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg has stepped down from her post, Javier Olivan will take charge as next COO

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Meta Platforms veteran Javier Olivan is taking over as the company's chief operating officer (COO). He will replace Sheryl Sandberg, who announced on Wednesday she was stepping down from Meta.

Facebook-parent Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg has stepped down from her post, the company confirmed on Wednesday. She did not disclose the reason for her departure from the company. In a Facebook post, Sandberg said she plans to focus on her philanthropic work.

"The debate around social media has changed beyond recognition since those early days. To say it hasn't always been easy is an understatement. But it should be hard. The products we make have a huge impact, so we have the responsibility to build them in a way that protects the privacy and keeps people safe," Sandberg wrote.

Five unknown facts about Meta's next COO Javier Olivan

1) Olivan, who grew up in the Pyrenees region of northern Spain, holds degrees in electrical and industrial engineering from the University of Navarra and a master's in business administration from Stanford University.

2) Before joining Facebook in late 2007 as head of international growth, Olivan, 44, worked at Japan's NTT and Siemens.

3) Olivan pushed Facebook's expansion into countries such as India, Japan, Russia, Indonesia and Brazil, according to an interview he gave in 2010 to VentureBeat.

4) Olivan, who according to media reports enjoys paragliding and surfing, has most recently served as chief growth officer. In that position, he has managed features and functions that span Facebook and Instagram as well as messaging apps WhatsApp and Messenger.

5) In his new job, he will continue to lead infrastructure and corporate development. But his portfolio will also include advertising and business products, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.