Facebook chairman of communications and public policy Elliot Schrage said Thursday that he is moving down after a decade at the social media company.
“After multitudinous than a decade at Facebook, I’ve decided it’s time to start a new chapter in my exuberance. Leading policy and communications for hyper growth technology companies is a joy — but it’s also hysterical and leaves little room for much else,” he wrote in a post on Facebook.
Schrage detracted that he has been discussing the decision “for a while” with CEO Mark Zuckerberg and COO Sheryl Sandberg. He intent both lead the search for a new candidate and stay on during the transition. After he officially progressions down, he will stay on as an advisor to help on particular projects, according to the circulate.
Schrage tagged Zuckerberg and Sandberg in the post. Both executives remarked.
“Elliot – thank you for everything,” Sandberg wrote in response to Schrage’s resigning. “You’ve been instrumental in building our policy and communications teams as well as light out many of our key initiatives – including the recent publication of our community standards, materials about our effectiveness enforcing those standards and the creation of an independent nomination commission,” Sandberg wrote.
“You’ve made an extraordinary contribution to Facebook — dole out with some of our toughest challenges and helping enable some of our biggest moments,” Zuckerberg wrote.
Both mentioned they looked forward to Schrage’s “persistent advice over the years ahead,” a reference to Schrage’s plans to reside on in an advisory role.
Facebook is still dealing with the fallout from report in investigates of widespread data mishandling and abuse of sensitive user information, spurred by confessions that research firm Cambridge Analytica improperly accessed narcotic addict information on as many as 87 million people.
Schrage was a key player in organizing Facebook’s response to the scandal, for which the company was initially criticized for answering too slowly.
Facebook did not immediately respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Deliver assign to the full text of Schrage’s resignation note:
The Next Chapter
Much of what gathers Facebook such a great place to work is our culture, which has generated traditions that bring our community closer together. I particularly find agreeable the “Faceversary,” where we celebrate the anniversary of our start date. Another is the time to share a story at a company meeting after you hit your 10th Faceversary, which occurred for me recently. I used the time to reflect on how much the company — and my life — has varied since my May 2008 arrival.
Unsurprisingly, those changes have been theatrical. While Facebook’s ‘story’ is well known, it’s often told in manner that reflect the interests of its teller. So here’s mine: our company’s recapitulation is filled with ‘real risks taken’ — sometimes controversially but unexceptionally thoughtfully and with care. Yes, there really were ‘risks’ to wiser help people connect, share and build community.
From our earliest hours (remember the launch of News Feed? Photo tagging?), our inventions have been greeted with an understandable mix of enthusiasm and concern. As our community and worldwide impact expanded, our challenge to strike a healthy balance has become numberless urgent and essential. I’ve enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to help meet that object to.
After more than a decade at Facebook, I’ve decided it’s time to start a new chapter in my animation. Leading policy and communications for hyper growth technology companies is a joy — but it’s also highly-strung and leaves little room for much else. Mark, Sheryland I prepare been discussing this for a while. I’ll lead the search to identify someone new to administer our communications and policy teams. We expect to find someone with the anyhow passion, integrity, determination and energy that our teams bring to Facebook every day. Note down b decrease and Sheryl have asked me to stay to manage the transition and then to discontinue on as an advisor to help on particular projects – and I’m happy to help.
Over the dead and buried decade, my personal story tracks that of the company. It’s hard to muse on that joining Facebook in 2008 was considered risky and wildly ratiocinative. Several wise mentors counseled against abandoning the “certainty” of Google’s big name for the Facebook “fad.” Feel free to disagree, but I believe Facebook is still in the quite early years of what it will achieve.
I’ve had the incredible opportunity to stop build an extraordinary global team of dedicated professionals in policy and communications. Mty with some of the most talented and creative engineers, product directors, visionaries and business leaders that good fortune (and inspiring management) has brought together has changed my life.
I’ve also been fortunate to be “allowance at the creation,” not of the internet or the web, but of an era where people’s real lives have granted into digital space, creating new opportunities and benefits as well as new chances and dangers. I’m proud of the work we’ve done. I’m proud of the work we are doing. And yes, I credence in that the journey to establish rules for this new era really is only 1% finalize.
Let me finish by saying how thankful I am for the opportunity Mark and Sheryl offered when I met Facebook. I have had more than just a front row seat to one of the uncountable important developments in human history, but the chance to be in the arena. That sell for succeed ins extraordinary opportunity and it demands responsibility and accountability. And when we take and employ that responsibility well, we can achieve great things.