Sheryl Sandberg

Founder at LeanIn.Org

Championing women's leadership and workplace equality through LeanIn.Org

OperatorMenlo Park, California, United States23+ years in industry

Last updated May 31, 2026 by the ATDb Editorial Team

Bio

Sheryl Sandberg is the Founder of LeanIn.Org, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering women to achieve their ambitions. Prior to this role, she served as Chief Operating Officer of Meta (Facebook) from 2008 to 2022, where she helped build one of the world's most powerful digital advertising businesses, and as Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google from 2001 to 2008. Earlier in her career, she served as Chief of Staff at the U.S. Department of the Treasury.

Previous Roles

Chief Operating Officer

Meta (Facebook) (2008-2022)

Vice President, Global Online Sales and Operations

Google (2001-2008)

Chief of Staff

U.S. Department of the Treasury (1996-2001)

Expertise

Social Media AdvertisingSelf-Serve Advertising PlatformsMobile Advertising MonetizationAudience Targeting and SegmentationAd Measurement and AttributionSearch Advertising (AdWords/AdSense)Brand SafetyPrivacy-Conscious Advertising

Education

BA in Economics, Harvard University
MBA, Harvard Business School

Notable Achievements

Scaled Facebook's advertising revenue from near zero to over $100 billion annually during her tenure as COO
Helped build Google AdWords and AdSense into the dominant digital advertising products of the 2000s
Pioneered Facebook's mobile advertising monetization strategy, which became critical to the company's post-IPO recovery and growth
Authored 'Lean In' (2013), a #1 New York Times bestseller that sold over 4 million copies worldwide
Named to Time magazine's list of 100 Most Influential People multiple times
First woman to serve on Facebook's Board of Directors

Awards

Time 100 Most Influential People (multiple years)Fortune Most Powerful Women in Business (multiple years)Forbes World's 100 Most Powerful Women (multiple years)

Speaking Topics

Digital Advertising Strategy and MonetizationWomen in Technology and LeadershipResilience and Navigating AdversityThe Future of Social Media and CommercePrivacy and Data Ethics in AdvertisingScaling Technology Businesses

Publications

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead (2013)
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy (2017, co-authored with Adam Grant)

Board Memberships

Meta Platforms (former)The Walt Disney CompanyWomen for Women InternationalCenter for Global Development

Advisory Roles

Sheryl Sandberg & Dave Goldberg Family Foundation

Connections