Facebook names first female board member

Ms Sandberg, 42, joined Facebook in 2008 and played a central role in guiding the social networking company to its $16bn IPO in May.

She has been one of the most vocal critics of the gender imbalance in Silicon Valley’s executive ranks.

Her promotion comes as Facebook seeks to cultivate a more mature image as opposed to the college dorm-room start-up reputation that has dogged the company since Harvard dropout Mark Zuckerberg founded it in 2004.

“Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years,” Mr Zuckerberg, 28, said.

“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.”

Still, the composition of its board remains a continuing point of scrutiny for a young company that has touched countless industries and boasts close to a billion users from every corner of the world.

The board is made up of seven men, including Mr Zuckerberg, venture capitalists James Breyer, Marc Andreessen and Peter Thiel, Washington Post chairman Donald Graham, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and Erskine Bowles, a former White House chief of staff.

Former Sheffield Hallam MP Lord Allan is director of policy, Europe, at Facebook.