Sheryl Sandberg CEO of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, is stepping down after 14 years.

ccused for the platform’s role in election misinformation and the Capitol Hill riots last year.

Sandberg announced her departure as chief operating officer of Meta, Facebook’s parent company, in a lengthy Facebook post on Wednesday. She will remain on the Meta board of directors.

Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008 as Mark Zuckerberg’s No. 2 after serving as a key advisor to US Secretary of the Treasury Lawrence Summers. Her role became increasingly politicised, both within and outside.

Sandberg established herself as Facebook’s feminist leader by supporting social-justice issues and writing the best-selling book “Lean In,” promoting women’s empowerment. She was also known as the “adult in the room” at Facebook, where she oversaw the company’s public relations while also expanding its advertising business.

However, she came under fire in D.C. beginning in 2016 as a result of a slew of controversies around Facebook’s role in spreading disinformation, failing to protect user data, and providing a forum for organisers of the Jan. 6 Capitol Hill riots.

Sandberg was a key figure in Facebook’s transformation into a successful social media behemoth, helping to increase the company’s foreign reach. By the end of last year, Facebook had grown from 500 to 77,800 employees and from 100 million to 3 billion active users since Sandberg joined the firm.

The two began working on a transition plan after she notified Zuckerberg of her decision this weekend, according to the business. “Taking on a more traditional position focused internally and operationally on integrated ads and business solutions,” says Javier Olivan, Meta’s vice president of central products.

Sandberg was a well-known face of the corporation on Capitol Hill, thanks to her high-profile work alongside Zuckerberg.

In 2018, Sandberg testified in front of Congress regarding Russian disinformation during the 2016 presidential election. She also paid a visit to Capitol Hill in 2019 to discuss data privacy legislation.

Sandberg, on the other hand, has been pushed aside in recent years as Zuckerberg has taken more control of the lobbying and public relations responsibilities she previously oversaw. Senators have repeatedly summoned Zuckerberg to testify in front of Congress since 2018, thrusting the formerly introverted and antisocial CEO into the spotlight instead of Sandberg.