Mark Zuckerberg Announces Major Board Appointments to Propel Meta’s Vision for the Future

Mark Zuckerberg Announces Major Board Appointments to Propel Meta’s Vision for the Future

 

Meta’s CEO and Founder, Mark Zuckerberg, has unveiled three high-profile additions to the company’s board of directors, a strategic move aimed at bolstering Meta’s position as a leader in artificial intelligence (AI), wearables, and the evolution of social media. Dana White, John Elkann, and Charlie Songhurst will join the board, bringing decades of expertise in entrepreneurship, global business management, and technology innovation.

Zuckerberg, in a statement, highlighted the importance of this development, stating, “I’m excited to kick off the year with some news we’ve been working on for a while. We have massive opportunities ahead in AI, wearables, and the future of social media, and our board will help us achieve our vision.”

Profiles of the New Board Members

  • Dana White – A Global Sports Icon and Entrepreneur
    Dana White, the President and CEO of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), has redefined the sports industry, transforming UFC into one of the most valuable, fastest-growing, and globally popular enterprises. Under his leadership, UFC has set benchmarks in branding, fan engagement, and commercial success. Zuckerberg lauded White’s entrepreneurial acumen, saying, “I’ve admired him as an entrepreneur and his ability to build such a beloved brand.” White’s experience in scaling a global brand aligns with Meta’s ambitions to create immersive and engaging user experiences across its platforms.
  • John Elkann – An International Business Visionary
    John Elkann, the CEO of Exor and chairman of Stellantis and Ferrari, brings a wealth of experience managing multinational corporations and steering them to success. His leadership in overseeing two of the world’s most iconic automotive brands provides him with a unique perspective on global markets, innovation, and sustainability. Zuckerberg noted that Elkann’s deep expertise and international perspective would be invaluable to Meta as it seeks to expand its global footprint in emerging technologies.
  • Charlie Songhurst – A Strategic Technology Leader
    Charlie Songhurst, a veteran tech investor and former head of strategy at Microsoft, has been a key advisor to Meta over the past year. As a member of the Meta Advisory Group, Songhurst has provided insights into AI and advanced technology roadmaps, laying the groundwork for Meta’s cutting-edge projects. Zuckerberg expressed excitement about Songhurst’s transition to a more prominent role, stating, “I’m thrilled to add him to our board now.” His expertise in technology strategy is expected to play a crucial role in Meta’s pursuit of groundbreaking advancements.

Driving Innovation in 2025 and Beyond

The addition of White, Elkann, and Songhurst signals Meta’s determination to shape the future of digital interaction and connectivity. With an ambitious agenda for 2025, the company aims to lead transformative change in AI, wearable technology, and the integration of virtual and augmented realities into everyday life.

Zuckerberg concluded his announcement with optimism: “2025 is going to be a big year for Meta, and I’m excited to have them on board!”

As Meta continues to expand its influence and redefine the boundaries of technology, these appointments underscore its commitment to leveraging diverse expertise to achieve its vision of a connected, innovative, and inclusive future.

Final: Meta launches Reels on Facebook and New Ways for Creators to Make Money across SSA

Final: Meta launches Reels on Facebook and New Ways for Creators to Make Money across SSA

22 February 2022 Today, Meta is expanding the availability of  Facebook Reels for iOS and Android to more than 20 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Meta is also introducing better ways to help creators to earn money, new creation tools and more places to watch and create Facebook Reels.

Prior to this launch Reels was available on Facebook in India, Mexico, Canada, the U.S, and is now available across sub-Saharan Africa in: Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Tanzania, Swaziland, South Africa, Seychelles, Senegal, Rwanda, Nigeria, Namibia, Mali, Malawi, Lesotho, Kenya, Guinea, Ghana, Cape Verde, Cameroon, Burkina Faso.

Commenting on the launch Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director for sub-Saharan Africa at Meta says, “We’ve seen that video now accounts for almost all of the time people spend on Facebook and Instagram, and Reels is our fastest growing content format by far. This is why we’re focused on making Reels the best way for creators to get discovered, connect with their audience and earn money. We also want to make it fun and easy for people to find and share relevant and entertaining content.”

Meta is also creating a variety of opportunities for creators to earn money for their reels. The Reels Play bonus program, part of Meta’s $1 billion creator investment, pays eligible creators up to $35,000 a month based on the views of their qualifying reels. In the coming months, the bonus program will be extended to more countries, so more creators can get rewarded for creating reels that their communities love.

Facebook announces its New Office in Lagos, Nigeria

Facebook announces its New Office in Lagos, Nigeria
Aimed at supporting the entire Sub-Saharan Africa region, the office is expected to become operational in H2 2021
As part of its continued commitment and ongoing investment in Africa, Facebook (www.Facebook.com) today announced it will be opening an office in Lagos, Nigeria – its second office on the African continent. Aimed at supporting the entire Sub-Saharan Africa region, the office is expected to become operational in H2 2021 and will be the first on the continent to house a team of expert engineers building for the future of Africa and beyond.

Facebook’s office will be home to various teams servicing the continent from across the business, including Sales, Partnerships, Policy, Communications as well as Engineers.

Commenting, Ime Archibong, Facebook’s Head of New Product Experimentation said: “The opening of our new office in Lagos, Nigeria presents new and exciting opportunities in digital innovations to be developed from the continent and taken to the rest of the world. All across Africa we’re seeing immense talent in the tech ecosystem, and I’m proud that with the upcoming opening of our new office, we’ll be building products for the future of Africa, and the rest of the world, with Africans at the helm. We look forward to contributing further to the African tech ecosystem.”

The investment of the new Facebook office follows the 2018 opening of NG_Hub, its first flagship community hub space in Africa in partnership with CcHub, and the 2019 opening of a Small Business Group (SBG) Operations Centre in Lagos, in partnership with Teleperformance. Providing outsourced support to all English-speaking advertisers across Sub-Saharan Africa, the SBG office supports Small Medium Businesses (SMBs) through its Advocacy, Community & Education (ACE) programme, as well as its Marketing Expert sales programmes – all aimed at enabling SMBs to accelerate the growth and development of their businesses.

“Our new office in Nigeria presents an important milestone which further reinforces our ongoing commitment to the region”, commented Kojo Boakye, Facebook’s Director of Public Policy, Africa. “Our mission in Africa is no different to elsewhere in the world – to build community and bring the world closer together, and I’m excited about the possibilities that this will create, not just in Nigeria, but across Africa.”

Since the opening of its first office in 2015, Facebook has made a number of investments across the continent, aimed at supporting and growing the tech ecosystem, expanding and providing reliable connectivity infrastructures and helping businesses to grow locally, regionally and globally. This includes the recent rollout of its SMB Grants programme in Nigeria and South Africa, aimed at supporting over 900 businesses by providing a combination of cash and ad credits to help small businesses as they rebuild from COVID. The development of 2Africa, the world’s largest subsea cable project that will deliver much needed internet capacity and reliability across large parts of Africa, as well as its ongoing training programmes across the continent which support various communities including students, SMBs, digital creatives, female entrepreneurs, start-up’s and developers.​

Nunu Ntshingila, Regional Director, Facebook Africa,said: “We’re delighted to be announcing our new office in Nigeria. Five years on from opening our first office on the continent in Johannesburg, South Africa, we’re continuing to invest in and support local talent, as well as the various communities that use our platforms. The office in Lagos will also be key in helping to expand how we service our clients across the continent.”Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Facebook.