Sheryl Sandberg named to Facebook board of directors

Facebook chief operating officer (COO) Sheryl Sandberg has been named to that company's board of directors.

The company said that Sandberg would be taking on the role in addition to her current duties as COO of the social networking giant. She will be the first woman to ever hold a board position at Facebook.

Sandberg joined Facebook in 2008 when the company lured her away from a job as vice president of global online sales at Google. Her duties at Facebook have included overseeing the company's sales and marketing operations as well as helping to steer business development and strategy.

"Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years," said Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg.

"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."

Facebook has come under fire from women's groups recently over the lack of a women on its board. Current directors include investors Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen as well as Netflix chief Reed Hastings.

Sandberg has previous experience directing companies through her position on the board of the Walt Disney Company.

"Facebook is working every day to make the world more open and connected," Sandberg said.

"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."