Exclusive: Meta's longtime HR head to depart
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Lori Goler, Meta's longtime head of people, is leaving Meta next summer, she told employees in an internal note obtained by Axios. She said Janelle Gale, a 12-year Meta veteran, will replace her.
Why it matters: Goler has led Meta's people team for more than 16 years, overseeing the growth of the firm's employee base from 500 in 2008 to more than 70,000 today.
- She oversaw the people division of what was then Facebook during its transition from a privately held to a publicly traded company in 2012.
- Later, she built the programs and infrastructure necessary to help Meta weather an onslaught of regulatory and reputational challenges.
Zoom in: In a note posted to Meta's internal bulletin, Goler said helping to grow Meta's footprint and shape its unique culture "has been the privilege of a lifetime."
- She thanked CEO Mark Zuckerberg "for the way he's instilled a learning mindset into the very DNA of this company that's pushed us all to be better and stronger — individually and together."
Zoom out: A Sheryl Sandberg recruit, Goler helped set a new bar for how Big Tech firms train, compensate and retain talent.
- She worked alongside Sandberg to build a culture that aimed to champion women in Silicon Valley.
- Meta's current product chief, Chris Cox — another close confidant of Sandberg's — hired Goler to lead recruiting in 2008.
The big picture: Over the past few years, several of Meta's most tenured executives have left the company, reshaping the organization's c-suite.
- Sandberg left Meta as an executive in 2022 and stepped down from its board in 2024.
- Chief revenue officer David Fischer departed Meta in 2021 after 11 years. His replacement, Marne Levine, left after 13 years last February.
