Javier Olivan

Oliván was born in 1977 in Sabiñánigo, Huesca, Spain.{{cite web |last=Mount |first=Ian |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Who is Javier Oliván, Sheryl Sandberg's replacement as Meta COO? |url=https://fortune.com/2022/06/02/who-is-javier-olivan-sheryl-sandberg-replacement-as-facebook-meta-coo/ |work=Fortune |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220602130750/https://fortune.com/2022/06/02/who-is-javier-olivan-sheryl-sandberg-replacement-as-facebook-meta-coo/ |archive-date=June 2, 2022 |url-status=live}} His father Florián is a retired businessman who ran a hardware store and an arcade, while his mother María Pilar is a retired professor from the Biello Aragón Institute.{{Cite news |last=Errazti |first=Izaskun |date=May 27, 2023 |title=Javier Oliván, el consejero fiel de Zuckerberg |trans-title=Javier Oliván, Zuckerberg's faithful advisor |url=https://www.elcorreo.com/sociedad/javier-olivan-consejero-fiel-zuckerberg-20230528130331-ntrc.html |work=El Correo |language=es |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231017180357/https://www.elcorreo.com/sociedad/javier-olivan-consejero-fiel-zuckerberg-20230528130331-ntrc_amp.html |archive-date=October 17, 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Villanueva |first=María José |date=June 5, 2022 |title=De Silicon Valley a Arguisal: la casa del número 2 de Facebook en el Serrablo |trans-title=From Silicon Valley to Arguisal: the house of Facebook number 2 in Serrablo |url=https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/huesca/2022/06/03/de-silicon-valley-a-arguisal-la-casa-en-el-valle-de-tena-del-numero-2-de-facebook-1579214.html |work=Heraldo de Aragón |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230205011924/https://www.heraldo.es/noticias/aragon/huesca/2022/06/03/de-silicon-valley-a-arguisal-la-casa-en-el-valle-de-tena-del-numero-2-de-facebook-1579214.html |archive-date=February 5, 2023 |url-status=live}}

Between 1995 and 2002, Oliván studied electrical and industrial engineering at Tecnun, the School of Engineering of the University of Navarra in Pamplona.{{Cite news |last=Soriazu |first=Dani |date=June 4, 2022 |title=Las raíces guipuzcoanas del nuevo número dos de Meta |trans-title=The Guipuzcoan roots of Meta's new number two |url=https://www.diariovasco.com/economia/empresas/javier-olivan-gipuzkoa-tecnun-20220604155603-nt.html |work=El Diario Vasco |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220604060825/https://www.diariovasco.com/economia/empresas/javier-olivan-gipuzkoa-tecnun-20220604155603-nt.html |archive-date=June 4, 2022 |url-status=live}} He then joined Siemens as a research and development engineer in Munich, Germany, where he patented an algorithmic system for digital image processing, before moving to Tokyo, Japan, to work for NTT Data on wireless video technologies. He later worked as product manager at Siemens Mobile where he led a team responsible for mobile device development.{{cite web |last=Heath |first=Alex |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Meta's next COO spent 14 years leading the platform's relentless growth |url=https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/2/23151053/meta-coo-javier-olivan-new-facebook-sandberg |website=The Verge |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230325153438/https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/2/23151053/meta-coo-javier-olivan-new-facebook-sandberg |archive-date=March 25, 2023 |url-status=live}}

In 2005, he enrolled in the MBA program at Stanford University,{{cite web |last=Morris |first=Chris |date=June 1, 2022 |title=What we know about Javier Oliván, Facebook-parent Meta's new COO |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/90757352/what-we-know-about-javier-olivan-facebook-parent-metas-new-coo |work=Fast Company |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220701130908/https://www.fastcompany.com/90757352/what-we-know-about-javier-olivan-facebook-parent-metas-new-coo |archive-date=July 1, 2022 |url-status=live}} where he took a course that analyzed case studies of startups, including Facebook.{{Cite magazine |last=Levy |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Levy |date=June 3, 2023 |title=Meta's New COO Is Nothing Like Sheryl Sandberg |url=https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-meta-new-coo-sheryl-sandberg/ |work=Wired |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230610223604/https://www.wired.com/story/plaintext-meta-new-coo-sheryl-sandberg/ |archive-date=June 10, 2023 |url-status=live}} As a student, along with several friends, he worked on creating a Spanish-language version of Facebook, called Nosuni. Though the project was a failure,{{cite web |last=Sanchez |first=Alvaro |date=June 2, 2022 |title=Javier Oliván, el español que susurra al oído de Mark Zuckerberg |trans-title=Javier Oliván, the Spaniard who whispers in the ear of Mark Zuckerberg |url=https://elpais.com/economia/2022-06-02/javier-olivan-el-espanol-que-susurra-al-oido-de-mark-zuckerberg.html |work=El País |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220929225048/https://elpais.com/economia/2022-06-02/javier-olivan-el-espanol-que-susurra-al-oido-de-mark-zuckerberg.html |archive-date=September 29, 2022 |url-status=live}} Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, reached out and asked Oliván to work for him. He accepted the offer after graduating in 2007.

Oliván joined Facebook (now Meta Platforms) in October 2007 as head of international growth under Chamath Palihapitiya.{{cite web |last=Goldsmith |first=Jill |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Sheryl Sandberg Stepping Down As COO Of Meta, Formerly Called Facebook |url=https://deadline.com/2022/06/sheryl-sandberg-meta-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-metaverse-1235036888/ |work=Deadline Hollywood |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220615212500/https://deadline.com/2022/06/sheryl-sandberg-meta-facebook-mark-zuckerberg-metaverse-1235036888/ |archive-date=June 15, 2022 |url-status=live}} As a founding member of the growth team,{{Cite news |last=MacMillan |first=Douglas |date=July 27, 2012 |title=Chasing Facebook's Next Billion Users |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-07-25/chasing-facebooks-next-billion-users |publisher=Bloomberg News |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220812081300/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2012-07-25/chasing-facebooks-next-billion-users |archive-date=August 12, 2022 |url-status=live}} he oversaw the company's international expansion{{mdash}}into new markets and languages. From 2011 to 2018, he was vice president of the growth team. He advocated the Internet.org and Facebook Lite initiatives during this period. He advised multiple acquisitions including that of WhatsApp and Onavo.{{cite news |last=Wagner |first=Kurt |date=August 11, 2022 |title=Mark Zuckerberg’s Sheryl Sandberg Replacement Has Long Been Meta's Top Fixer |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-11/who-is-javier-olivan-meet-meta-s-sheryl-sandberg-successor |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |archive-url=https://archive.today/20220815045510/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-11/who-is-javier-olivan-meet-meta-s-sheryl-sandberg-successor |archive-date=August 15, 2022 |url-status=live}} In 2018, he took charge of the trust and safety team to tackle misinformation on its platforms. He was the vice president of Central Products between 2018 and 2022, after which he was promoted to chief growth officer.

In August 2022, Oliván replaced Sheryl Sandberg as chief operating officer after she stepped down 14{{nbsp}}years into the role.{{cite web |last=Moon |first=Mariella |date=August 2, 2022 |title=Sheryl Sandberg officially steps down as COO of Meta |url=https://www.engadget.com/sheryl-sandberg-officially-steps-down-as-coo-of-meta-123206041.html |website=Engadget |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221015114634/https://www.engadget.com/sheryl-sandberg-officially-steps-down-as-coo-of-meta-123206041.html |archive-date=October 15, 2022 |url-status=live}} As part of a reorganization in January 2025, Oliván also oversees the business operations of the Reality Labs division.{{Cite news |last=Varnham O'Regan |first=Sylvia |date=January 28, 2025 |title=Meta Overhauls Reality Labs Business Unit Ahead of Earnings Report |url=https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/meta-overhauls-reality-labs-business-unit-ahead-of-earnings-report |website=The Information |url-access=subscription}}

He was recognized as a Henry Crown Fellow by the Aspen Institute in 2014.{{Cite web |last=Below |first=Carlos Gomez |date=June 4, 2022 |title=Un amigo español para entrar en el metaverso |trans-title=A Spanish friend to enter the metaverse |url=https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/03/opinion/1654271106_692971.html |work=El País |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220816014511/https://cincodias.elpais.com/cincodias/2022/06/03/opinion/1654271106_692971.html |archive-date=August 16, 2022 |url-status=live}} He is on the board of the non-profit, Endeavor Global.{{cite web |url=https://hrsea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/meta-appoints-javier-olivan-as-coo-long-time-coo-sheryl-sandberg-resigns/91955329 |title=Meta appoints Javier Olivan as COO, long-time COO Sheryl Sandberg |date=June 2, 2022 |work=The Economic Times |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208023801/https://hrsea.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/meta-appoints-javier-olivan-as-coo-long-time-coo-sheryl-sandberg-resigns/91955329 |archive-date=December 8, 2022 |url-status=live}} Previously, he was a board member of the e-commerce company Mercado Libre for six years. He was also on the board of Vy Global Growth, a special-purpose acquisition company that invested in geospatial imaging firm Satellogic before the SPAC deal completed in 2022.

Oliván lived in Palo Alto, California, before moving to Spain and working remotely {{as of|2023|lc=y}}.{{cite web |last=Canales |first=Katie |date=August 17, 2022 |title=Meet new Meta COO Javier Olivan, the 'super-low-ego, humble' company veteran filling Sheryl Sandberg's large shoes who rarely uses Facebook or Instagram |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-javier-olivan-facebook-meta-coo-sheryl-sandberg-2022-8 |website=Business Insider |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230320174400/https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-javier-olivan-facebook-meta-coo-sheryl-sandberg-2022-8 |archive-date=March 20, 2023 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last=Arana |first=Ismael |date=February 3, 2023 |title=Javier Oliván, 'número 2' de Zuckerberg en Meta, teletrabajará desde España como "nómada digital" |trans-title=Javier Oliván, Zuckerberg's 'number 2' in Meta, will telework from Spain as a "digital nomad" |url=https://www.lavanguardia.com/tecnologia/20230203/8730546/aragones-javier-olivan-numero-2-zuckerberg-meta-trabajara-remoto-espana.html |work=La Vanguardia |language=es |archive-url=https://archive.today/20231019070413/https://www.lavanguardia.com/tecnologia/20230203/8730546/aragones-javier-olivan-numero-2-zuckerberg-meta-trabajara-remoto-espana.html |archive-date=October 19, 2023 |url-status=live}} He is married and has two daughters. He met his wife while he was an Erasmus student in Munich.{{cite web |last=Jiminez |first=Miguel |date=April 15, 2023 |title=El español Javier Oliván ganó 21,4 millones de dólares en 2022 como jefe de operaciones de Meta |trans-title=The Spanish Javier Oliván earned 21.4 million dollars in 2022 as head of operations at Meta |url=https://elpais.com/economia/2023-04-15/el-espanol-javier-olivan-gano-214-millones-de-dolares-en-2022-como-jefe-de-operaciones-de-meta.html |work=El País |language=es |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230522203134/https://elpais.com/economia/2023-04-15/el-espanol-javier-olivan-gano-214-millones-de-dolares-en-2022-como-jefe-de-operaciones-de-meta.html |archive-date=May 22, 2023 |url-status=live}} He is fluent in five languages, including French, German, and Japanese. He is fond of surfing and paragliding.{{Cite news |last=Dang |first=Sheila |last2=Paul |first2=Katie |date=June 1, 2022 |title=Who is Javier Olivan, Meta's next COO? |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/who-is-javier-olivan-metas-next-coo-2022-06-02/ |publisher=Reuters |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221130002356/https://www.reuters.com/technology/who-is-javier-olivan-metas-next-coo-2022-06-02/ |archive-date=November 30, 2022 |url-status=live}}

{{reflist}}

{{Meta Platforms}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olivan, Javier}}

Category:Living people

Category:1977 births

Category:21st-century American businesspeople

Category:American chief operating officers

Category:Facebook employees

Category:Henry Crown Fellows

Category:Stanford Graduate School of Business alumni

Category:University of Navarra alumni