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Sheryl Sandberg The Woman Behind Facebook
Sheryl Sandberg, born August 28, 1969, is an American businesswoman, activist, and writer. As of August 2013, she is the chief operating officer of Facebook. In June 2012, she was elected 
to the board of directors by the existing board members, becoming the first woman to serve on Facebook’s board.
Before Facebook, Sheryl Sandberg was Vice President of Global Online Sales and Operations at Google and was involved in launching Google’s philanthropic arm Google.org.
Before Google, Sandberg served as chief of staff for the United States Secretary of the Treasury.
According to Time magazine, in 2012, she was named in the Time 100, an annual list of the world’s 100 most influential people. As of January 2014, Sandberg is reported to be worth over US$1 billion due to her stock holdings in Facebook and other companies.
Sheryl Sandberg story with Facebook:
In late 2007, Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder, and chief executive of Facebook, met Sheryl Sandberg at a Christmas party held by Dan Rosensweig; at the time, she was considering becoming a senior executive for The Washington Post Company. Zuckerberg had no formal search for a COO but thought of Sandberg as “a perfect fit” for this role. They spent more time together in January 2008 at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, and in March 2008, Facebook announced hiring Sheryl Sandberg away from Google.
After joining the company, Sandberg quickly began trying to figure out how to make Facebook profitable. Before she joined, the company was “primarily interested in building a really cool site; profits, they assumed, would follow.”By late spring, Facebook’s leadership had agreed to rely on advertising, “with the ads discreetly presented”; by 2010, Facebook became profitable. According to Facebook, Sandberg oversees its business operations, including sales, marketing, business development, human resources, public policy, and communications.
2493 people in Luleå standing on ice to form the world’s largest human Like! – by Sheryl Sandberg
Sandberg’s executive compensation for Final Year 2011 was $300,000 base salary plus $30,491,613 in Facebook inc. Shares. She also owns 38,122,000 stock options and restricted stock units (worth approx. $1.45 billion as of May 2012) that will be completely vested by May 2022, subject to her continued employment through the vesting date.
In 2012 she became the eighth member (and the first female member) of Facebook’s board of directors.
In October 2012, Business Insider reported that stock units (appx. 34 million) vested in Sandberg’s name accounted for nearly US$790,000,000. Facebook withheld roughly 15 million of those stocks for tax reasons, leaving Sandberg with nearly US$417,000,000. The media reported on August 12, 2013, that Sandberg sold 2.4m shares in the company worth US$91 million—5 percent of her total stake in the company.
In April 2014, it was reported that Sandberg had sold over half of her shares on Facebook since the company went public. At the time of Facebook’s IPO, she held approximately 41 million shares in the company. After several rounds of sales, she is left with around 17.2 million shares, a 0.5% stake in the company, worth about one billion dollars.
Lendo, a Saudi Arabia-based Shariah-compliant crowdlending marketplace, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today with J.P. Morgan to improve access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) across the country.
The MOU was signed during 24 Fintech, a premier fintech event that brings together industry leaders, innovators, and investors in Riyadh.
J.P. Morgan and Lendo are working together on potential opportunities to support the SME sector in Saudi Arabia in growing and sustaining the remarkable demand in this market.
“This strategic collaboration with J.P. Morgan, a pioneer in the financial industry, marks a significant milestone for Lendo,” said Osama Alraee, CEO and co-founder of Lendo. “By combining our strengths, we’ll deliver cutting-edge financial solutions to SMEs, supporting their growth and contributing directly to the realization of Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030.”
The SME financing landscape in MENA presents a substantial market opportunity as limited financial access continues to restrict the growth of the region’s businesses, with commercial banks hesitant to issue loans to SMEs at scale, resulting in a high percentage of declined financing requests annually.
The total SME financing gap in developing countries is estimated to be approximately $5.2 trillion, according to the International Finance Corporation (IFC).
Lendo’s debt crowdfunding platform aims to bridge the financing gap for SMEs, aligning with Saudi Vision 2030’s goal to significantly expand SME lending from 4% in 2018 to 20% by 2030.
According to the latest available report from the Saudi Central Bank (SAMA), the total value of debt crowdfunding in Saudi Arabia surged from SAR 1.4 million in 2019 to SAR 771 million in 2022, marking a remarkable growth.
Lendo raised SAR 132 million ($35.2 million) in total funding from leading investors, including the most recent Series B led by Sanabil Investments, a wholly-owned company by the Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Since its inception in December 2019, Saudi fintech Lendo has processed over 5,000 financing transactions on its platform, providing over SAR 2 billion ($600 million) in financing to SMEs and generating SAR 280 million ($74 million) in returns for investors.
TA Telecom, a prominent player in the Middle East’s tech sector, has unveiled AnteThink, an AI-driven tool designed to enhance decision-making processes for individuals and businesses alike.
With a history of influencing the tech landscape through various initiatives, including advanced mobile solutions, high-volume payment platforms, and ventures in e-commerce, fintech, and analytics, TA Telecom has carved a niche for itself. Serving a vast user base of 40 million and processing an impressive 15 billion transactions across its platforms, TA Telecom has cemented its position as a tech industry leader, with some of its ventures achieving the status of Y Combinator companies.
Established in 2000, TA Telecom has emerged as a prominent player in the technology sector. With over 40 million users and processing 15 billion transactions annually, TA Telecom has made a notable impact. Recognized for its contributions by the Financial Times and featured on Deloitte’s list of fastest-growing tech companies in EMEA, TA Telecom is known for its adaptability and forward-thinking approach in the ever-evolving global tech landscape.
Sameh Ibrahim, CEO of TA Telecom, highlights the potential of AnteThink: “AnteThink reflects our commitment to leverage technology for practical impact. It aims to provide clarity and confidence in decision-making, whether in the professional or personal sphere. AnteThink is a tool that can empower startup founders, executives, and individuals to make more informed choices, alleviating the stress and uncertainty often associated with critical decision-making.”
Mostafa Ashour, CEO of Y Combinator-backed startup NowPay, shared his perspective on AnteThink: “AnteThink transformed our strategic planning, allowing us to explore various scenarios and prepare for different outcomes. It has strengthened our decision-making process, helping us navigate the complexities of the business landscape.”
AnteThink embodies TA Telecom’s commitment to innovation, focusing on supporting the startup ecosystem. The tool is tailored to help leaders and executives navigate the complexities of business management and strategic development by providing a clear picture of potential outcomes.
Key Features of AnteThink include:
1. Second Order Mode: Offering a comprehensive analysis of broader impacts, fostering a strategic mindset for long-term success.
2. Optionality Mode: Enabling detailed evaluation and comparison of different choices to ensure decisions align with strategic objectives and values.
3. Inversion Mode: Focusing on identifying and mitigating potential risks, thereby strengthening risk management strategies.
Credit: Antethink
AnteThink’s advanced AI technology aims to assist decision-makers with insightful analytics, offering guidance through the decision-making process.
Selina Bieber, the Senior Director of Global Markets at GoDaddy, has predicted a significant increase in Egypt’s e-commerce revenue. By 2028, it could reach $9.88 billion.
Godaddy is forming strategic partnerships and launching initiatives to help local entrepreneurs. These efforts align with Egypt’s digital transformation goals and its Vision 2030.
In an interview with the Arabic financial news “Amwal Al Ghad,” Bieber spoke about GoDaddy’s plans and how they match Egypt’s 2023 strategy. She highlighted the company’s aim to provide effective, easy-to-use digital tools and services. By 2024, GoDaddy wants to serve more customers in Egypt by making its digital tools more widespread.
The company is working closely with the Egyptian government, especially the Ministry of Planning. They are offering training programs to improve the digital skills of startups and existing businesses. GoDaddy’s services in Egypt include domain registration, web hosting, e-commerce solutions, and digital marketing tools.
Recent surveys support Bieber’s positive outlook for e-commerce in Egypt. They show a clear trend towards digital strategies among small businesses. Many are realizing the importance of having an online presence for their growth and success.
As GoDaddy continues its partnerships and supports government digital initiatives, its influence on Egypt’s digital landscape is growing. The company is committed to sustainability and reducing its carbon footprint. It aims not just for business growth but also to contribute to a sustainable and thriving digital economy in Egypt.
The 2028 projection indicates a vast potential for e-commerce, with GoDaddy playing a key role in this digital evolution.
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