Sheryl Sandberg
Early Life and Education
Sheryl Kara Sandberg was born on August 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C. She is the daughter of Adele (née Einhorn) and Joel Sandberg. Her family moved to North Miami Beach, Florida, when she was two years old. Sandberg attended North Miami Beach High School, where she graduated with a 4.646 GPA and was a member of the National Honor Society. She was also a class president and a member of the senior class executive board.
Sandberg enrolled at Harvard University, where she graduated summa cum laude in 1991 with a Bachelor of Arts in economics and was awarded the John H. Williams Prize for the top graduating student in economics. While at Harvard, she co-founded an organization called Women in Economics and Government. She also met her mentor, Professor Lawrence Summers, who would later play a significant role in her career. Sandberg continued her education at Harvard Business School, earning her MBA with highest distinction in 1995.
Early Career
After completing her MBA, Sandberg worked as a management consultant for McKinsey & Company for approximately one year. In 1996, she joined the U.S. Department of the Treasury under President Bill Clinton, where she served as Chief of Staff to Lawrence Summers, who was then the Treasury Secretary. During her tenure, Sandberg worked on initiatives to forgive debt in the developing world and combat financial crises in Asia and Russia.
Google and Facebook
In 2001, Sandberg joined Google Inc., where she was responsible for online sales of Google's advertising and publishing products, as well as for sales operations of Google's consumer products and Google Book Search. She was instrumental in developing AdWords and AdSense, which became major revenue sources for the company. Her role at Google allowed her to gain significant experience in the tech industry and build a robust professional network.
In 2008, Sandberg left Google to join Facebook as Chief Operating Officer (COO). At Facebook, she was responsible for helping to scale the company from a small startup to a global enterprise. Sandberg oversaw the company's business operations, including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy, and communications. She played a crucial role in Facebook's IPO in 2012 and its subsequent growth.
Publications and Advocacy
Lean In
In 2013, Sandberg published her first book, "Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead." The book addresses the barriers women face in the workplace and offers advice on how to overcome them. It became a bestseller and sparked a global conversation about gender equality and women's leadership. Sandberg also founded the Lean In organization to support women in achieving their ambitions.
Option B
Following the sudden death of her husband, Dave Goldberg, in 2015, Sandberg co-authored "Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy" with psychologist Adam Grant. The book, published in 2017, explores how individuals can build resilience and find meaning in the face of adversity. It combines personal insights with research on resilience and offers practical advice for overcoming life's challenges.
Philanthropy and Board Memberships
Sandberg is known for her philanthropic efforts and serves on several boards. She is a board member of Women for Women International, the Center for Global Development, and V-Day. She has also been involved with the Advisory Council of the Harvard Business School and the Board of Directors of The Walt Disney Company.
In 2012, Sandberg was named in the Time 100, an annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world. She has also been recognized by Forbes as one of the world's most powerful women.
Personal Life
Sandberg married Brian Kraff in 1993, but the marriage ended in divorce a year later. In 2004, she married Dave Goldberg, then CEO of SurveyMonkey. The couple had two children together. Tragically, Dave Goldberg passed away in 2015 while the family was on vacation in Mexico. Sandberg has been open about her grief and the impact of her husband's death on her life and work.