Sandberg Joins Facebook's Board - NYTimes.com Facebook said on Monday that its chief operating officer, Sheryl K. Sandberg, has joined the social network's board, becoming the first woman to serve as a director for the company. The elevation of Ms. Sandberg, who joined Facebook in 2008, is an acknowledgment of the crucial role she plays at the company. Lured away from Google, she became one of Facebook's most public figures, making regular appearances at events like the World Economic Forum and the annual Allen & Company media conference in Sun Valley, Idaho. Such is Ms. Sandberg's stature that her profile is second only to that of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive. And she has served as one of the company's links to the corporate world, playing a large role in taking Facebook public and working with business partners. "Facebook is working every day to make the world more open and connected," Ms. Sandberg said in a statement. It's a mission that I'm deeply passionate about, and I feel fortunate to be part of a company that is having such a profound impact in the world. She has long been regarded as a star in the corporate firmament. At Google, she was a high-ranking executive with prominent roles in sales and operations. And before that, she served as the chief of staff for Lawrence H. Summers at the Treasury Department. At Facebook, Ms. Sandberg is largely regarded as an efficient operating executive who frees Mr. Zuckerberg up to work on big-picture projects and chart the long-term direction of the company he founded in a Harvard dorm room in 2004. Her responsibilities include overseeing sales and marketing, business development and corporate policy. "Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years," Mr. Zuckerberg said in a statement. Her understanding of our mission and long-term opportunity, and her experience both at Facebook and on public company boards makes her a natural fit for our board. Ms. Sandberg is joining a relatively small board for a company whose market value as of Monday stood at $68.6 billion. Others on the Facebook board include the venture capitalists Marc L. Andreessen, James W. Breyer and Peter A. Thiel; Erskine B. Bowles, the former Clinton administration official; Donald E. Graham, the chairman of the Washington Post Company; and Reed Hastings, the chief executive of Netflix. She already serves on the board of the Walt Disney Company. Correction: June 25, 2012 An earlier version of this post included the incorrect middle initial for the former secretary of the Treasury Department. It is Lawrence H. Summers, not W.