A Facebook veteran for 13 years, CPO Chris Cox has been searching for a new role since the last 2 years. He has finally decided to leave Facebook. This news did not come as a shock to Mark Zuckerberg, because the two have been in constant talks regarding this move.
To clear the air about Chris Cox’s departure, Mark Zuckerberg said “For a few years, Chris has been discussing with me his desire to do something else . . . But after 2016, we both realized we had too much important work to do to improve our products for society, and he stayed to help us work through these issues and help us chart a course for our family of apps going forward. At this point, we have made real progress . . . As we embark on this next major chapter, Chris has decided now is the time to step back from leading these teams.”
However, while it makes sense for Chris Cox to hunt for something new after such a long stint with the social networking site, the more surprising news is that Whatsapp VP Chris Daniels has also decided to leave Facebook after working for the company for 8 years. In fact, the reason why this move is shocking is that Chris Daniels had been appointed the VP of Whatsapp in May of last year. So, this is a fairly quick exit from the company on this part.
Facebook has recently been implementing a lot of executive changes in its organization. This is because they want to shift their feed sharing style into one that focusses more on private communication. With a stronger focus on consumer protection and privacy, this social networking site is revamping the way it does things.
Chris Daniels had always felt his role as VP of Whatsapp did not directly align with his career goals. Prior to this, he was the head of internet.org, which was banned in India as it violated net neutrality. With these two key players leaving Facebook, the company has to make new decisions to strengthen their leadership and team.
VP Chris Daniels will not be replaced by Will Cathart, who was previously involved in running the main Facebook app. His role will be given to Fidji Simo, who was earlier the VP of product for Facebook videos, news, and ads. Javier Olivan will take over Fidji Simo’s role.
The company is shifting its priorities from growing to sustaining its current consumers and ensuring that they remain loyal to the app. This is one of the many reasons why the company is taking so many steps at the moment.
