Sheryl Sandberg finally adds woman's touch to Facebook board

Mark Zuckerberg's right-hand woman, Sheryl Sandberg, has joined Facebook's no-longer-male-only board of directors.

The Google alumnus, who was brought in by Zuck in 2008 to beef up the social network's advertising prowess, has been the company's chief operating officer for four years. The company's number two was finally plonked in the board chair after Facebook's directors were recently criticised for not having any women at the table.

Zuckerberg swooned that Sandberg, who is on a base annual salary of $300,000, "has been central to our growth and success over the years."

He added: “Her understanding of our mission and long-term opportunity, and her experience both at Facebook and on public company boards makes her a natural fit for our board.”

Sandberg has previously moaned about the lack of women chairing company boards. She has served on several, including that of Starbucks and even Walt Disney, which appointed her in 2009. ®