Facebook Loses its Ads Boss, The Second Major Loss This Year

Carolyn Everson, the VP of Facebook’s Global Business Group, announced that she has left the company after more than a decade.

Everson's role as the head of Facebook's global business teams will temporarily be filled by its VP for Europe, Middle East, and Africa, Nicola Mendelsohn.

Everson was considered to be the social media titan’s advertising chief and was the executive who built and maintained many of the company’s relationships with major ad agencies on Madison Avenue and beyond.

News of her departure follows similar news from late March that her boss, David Fischer, would depart the company later this year.

According to The Wall Street Journal, some ad executives had seen Everson as Fischer’s heir, however, Fischer’s role as Chief Revenue Officer was filled by Marnie Levine, who has been promoted as the company’s first Chief Business Officer. It is uncertain whether the move played a role in Everson’s decision to part ways with the company.

In a Facebook post announcing her departure, Everson said, “I always said no one will ever mention at my funeral the amount of revenue I oversaw. But hopefully one day someone will say my legacy at Facebook was in how I showed up for my team, for our clients and for our industry. I am very much looking forward to starting a new chapter.”

Everson hasn’t yet announced what her next move will be.

Fischer commented, “Carolyn, for over a decade, you have dedicated yourself to our clients, our teams, and our business -- and you've had an incredible impact. Thanks for all you've done for Facebook, and for your friendship. Wishing you the very best in all that's to come.”

Levine replied to Everson’s departure, stating, “You have been an inspiring leader at Facebook and leave a lasting legacy, particularly in the community you created in your team and the way you showed care for them. Thank you for everything. I'm grateful to have worked with and learned from you over the last decade and wish you all the best in your next chapter.”

Everson’s decision to leave the company comes at an inflection point for the company’s ads business. Recent privacy changes to Apple’s operating system, which have hurt advertisers’ tracking abilities, will likely have an outsized impact on Facebook’s bottom line. Additionally, regulators in Europe and the UK are examining the social media company for possible antitrust violations concerning its use of advertising data.

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