Randi Zuckerberg, director of marketing at Facebook and sister to CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg, announced Wednesday that she is leaving Facebook to start her own company.
Here’s part of the resignation letter she shared with AllThingsD:
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 [sic] 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.
Going forward, Zuckerberg plans to form a new venture called RtoZ Media, though there isn’t much more known at the moment. (If you didn’t catch it, “RtoZ” is a play on Randi’s name.) Something tells me the new company won’t have much trouble gathering support, financially or otherwise, not just because of Zuckerberg’s ties to Facebook but also because she has proven herself to be an outstanding media maven at the social networking giant.
As head of the consumer marketing team and social good initiatives, Zuckerberg was often the public face for Facebook, adding a friendly, personable identity to a company typically tight-lipped and operated like a well-greased machine. See for yourself by watching some Facebook Live videos, like the SXSW 2011 interviews with Conan O’Brien and Mike Tyson.
More recently, Zuckerberg and her team were nominated for an Emmy Award for their ABC News/Facebook coverage of the U.S. mid-term elections.
A Facebook spokesperson has reaffirmed Randi’s departure with the following statement:
“We can confirm Randi has decided to leave Facebook to start her own company. We are all grateful for her important service.”
Randi Zuckerberg Letter 8.3.11
