Sheryl Sandberg joins Facebook board

The woman known for her powerful place at the side of Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg on Monday took a seat on the leading social network's board of directors.

Facebook chief operating officer Sheryl Sandberg became the first female member of the board at the company, which became a publicly traded firm in May with a Nasdaq debut that raised billions of dollars.

"Sheryl has been my partner in running Facebook and has been central to our growth and success over the years," Zuckerberg said in a statement.

"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."

Prior to joining Facebook four years ago, Sandberg was vice president of global online sales and operations at Internet search titan Google.

The Harvard University graduate's background includes having served as chief of staff for the US Treasury Department under former President Bill Clinton and being an economist with the World Bank.

"Facebook is working every day to make the world more open and connected," Sandberg said.

"It's a mission that I'm deeply passionate about, and I feel fortunate to be part of a company that is having such a profound impact in the world."

Sandberg is also on the boards of The Walt Disney Company, Women for Women International, and the Center for Global Development.

The Facebook board roster includes Zuckerberg; Netflix founder Reed Hastings; Washington Post Company chief executive Donald Graham, and venture capitalists Marc Andreessen, James Breyer, and Peter Thiel.