Randi Zuckerberg is leaving Facebook to start her own social media company called RtoZ Media. Randi is the Director of marketing has been with Facebook since near the beginning of the company’s rise to power.
She had gone on a maternity leave three months ago, and instead returning to the company , she submitted a letter of resignation.
Her resignation letter included a summary of achievements during her 6 years journey at Facebook –
When I think about the projects I’m most proud of during my six years at the company, they all have one thing in common –they revolve around the intersection of traditional media & social technology:
. the ABC News/Facebook Presidential Primary Debate in 2008 (first network televised debate to include social media).
. the CNN/Facebook Inauguration Partnership in 2009 (fueled a multi-billion dollar industry around live streaming).
. The ABC/Facebook Live Election Night Coverage in 2010 (received an Emmy Nomination).
. The Davos/Facebook partnership which made The World Economic Forum accessible to millions of people.
. The launch of Facebook Live, culminating less than a year later in a Town Hall with President Obama in 2011.
She later tweeted about leaving Facebook –
“It is with mixed emotions that I announced my departure from Facebook today to launch my own initiative. More info soon… http://t.co/m3XpphA”
Here is the direct link of her resignation letter where I copied down the full text below for reference –
8/3/11
Dear Sheryl and Elliot:
I’ve decided my time at Facebook is coming to a close.
When I think about the projects I’m most proud of during my six years at the company, they all have one thing in common –they revolve around the intersection of traditional media & social technology:
the ABC News/Facebook Presidential Primary Debate in 2008 (first network televised debate to include social media)
the CNN/Facebook Inauguration Partnership in 2009 (fueled a multi-billion dollar industry around live streaming)
The ABC/Facebook Live Election Night Coverage in 2010 (received an Emmy Nomination)
The Davos/Facebook partnership which made The World Economic Forum accessible to millions of people
The launch of Facebook Live, culminating less than a year later in a Town Hall with President Obama in 2011.I have spent my years at Facebook pouring my heart and soul into innovating and pushing the media industry forward by introducing new concepts around live, social, participatory viewing that the media industry has since adopted. We have made incredible progress, but there is still much to be done and other ways I can affect change. Now is the perfect time for me to move outside of Facebook to build a company focused on the exciting trends underway in the media industry.
I’m proud of what I’ve done here and the people I have had the chance to work with. But I know I’ll be able to do just as much or more for Facebook once I’m on the outside. My goal is to launch my own innovative programming and work with media companies to develop their programming in new, and more social ways. In attacking this challenge, Facebook will clearly be a central element in all of my projects. I plan to demonstrate that ANYONE can do groundbreaking media work on the platform. And to the extent it makes sense for you, I’d be happy to advise Facebook on media projects, “Facebook Live” or other initiatives if it is desired.
As I end this chapter of my career, know that I leave with a deep love for Facebook and I value the experiences I have had here immensely. Be assured I will continue to be a strong, vocal evangelist for the most incredible social platform ever created. I am thankful for the strong mentorship, guidance, and support, which is empowering me to follow my dreams and show that you don’t have to be an engineer to be a hacker
Thanks for everything. If you need to reach me email at my new company is best, [email protected].
Randi
Do you think her departure makes some kind of realistic statement about Facebook’s future?
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