Sheryl Sandberg is a highly accomplished American technology executive, activist, and author. Best known as the chief operating officer of Facebook, she has made history as the company’s first female board member. In addition to her role at Facebook, Sandberg is the founder of Leanin.org and has co-authored two influential books. Before her time at Facebook, she held prominent positions at Google and served as the chief of staff for the United States Secretary of the Treasury. Sandberg’s expertise and influence have led to numerous speaking engagements and recognition as one of the most powerful women in the world.
Quick Facts
- Also Known As: Sheryl Kara Sandberg
- Age: 54 Years, 54 Year Old Females
- Family:
- Spouse/Ex-: Brian Kraff (m. 1993–1994), Dave Goldberg (m. 2004–2015)
- Father: Joel Sandberg
- Mother: Adele Sandberg
- Born Country: United States
- Billionaires
- Philanthropists
- Height: 5’8″ (173 cm), 5’8″ Females
- Education: Harvard University
Childhood & Early Life
Sheryl Kara Sandberg was born on August 28, 1969 in Washington, D.C. to Joel Sandberg, an ophthalmologist, and Adele Sandberg, a French language teacher. She grew up in North Miami Beach, Florida with her younger siblings, David and Michelle. She attended Highland Oaks Middle School and North Miami Beach High School, where she was actively involved in various activities such as the National Honor Society and teaching aerobics.
In 1991, Sheryl graduated summa cum laude from Harvard College with a bachelor’s degree in economics. She was awarded the John H. Williams Prize for being the top graduating student in economics. During her time at Harvard, she co-founded the group ‘Women in Economics and Government’ and worked as a research assistant for Larry Summers at the World Bank.
Sheryl went on to attend Harvard Business School and earned her MBA with highest distinction in 1995.
Career
Sheryl’s first job after graduating from Harvard Business School was as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. She then worked for Larry Summers, who was the United States Secretary of the Treasury at the time. In 2001, she joined Google Inc. as the Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations. During her time at Google, she played a crucial role in making the company profitable.
In 2008, Sheryl joined Facebook as its chief operating officer (COO) after being offered the position by Mark Zuckerberg. She focused on building personal relationships with the employees and introduced strategies to make Facebook profitable. She was inducted into Facebook’s board of directors in 2012, becoming the first female member.
Writing and Philanthropy
In 2013, Sheryl co-authored the book ‘Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead’ with Nell Scovell. The book addressed the lack of women in leadership positions and earned both praise and criticism. With the profits from the book, she established the non-profit organization LeanIn.Org, which later became the Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation.
Major Works
Sheryl Sandberg is best known for her role in making Facebook a profitable company. She also played a significant role in launching Google’s philanthropic arm, Google.org.
Awards & Achievements
Sheryl Sandberg has been named one of the most powerful women by Forbes and has made it onto several prestigious lists by Fortune Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Time Magazine, and more. In 2012, she became the first woman to serve on Facebook’s board of directors. Her book ‘Lean In’ was shortlisted for the Financial Times and Goldman Sachs Business Book of the Year Award in 2013.
Personal Life & Legacy
Sheryl Sandberg was married to Brian Kraff in 1993, but they divorced a year later. In 2004, she married Dave Goldberg, who was an executive with Yahoo! and later became the CEO of SurveyMonkey. Dave Goldberg passed away in 2015 due to an arrhythmia. Sheryl currently resides in Menlo Park, California with her children.
Trivia
In 2015, Sheryl Sandberg signed an open letter demanding women’s equality at the global stage. She also sponsored the ‘Ban Bossy’ campaign in 2014.