The return of a veteran! Chris Cox returns to Facebook after a year-long absence to serve as Chief Product Officer.

Following the annual shareholder conference call at the end of May, Facebook has released another major announcement. Chris Cox, the former Chief Product Officer who left the company a year ago, revealed on his personal Facebook that he will be returning to his position after nearly 15 years of work. Apart from maintaining contact with Mark Zuckerberg, Chris also expressed special thanks to him in the post and expressed excitement for the opportunity to collaborate again.

Key Figure at Facebook

Chris joined Facebook as one of the initial 15 engineers back in 2005 and played a crucial role in building some of the major features of the early version of Facebook, such as the News Feed. Upon his promotion to Chief Product Officer in 2014, he was responsible for all of its applications, including WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. Forbes once described him as "one of the most important executives in Silicon Valley that nobody talks about."

Over the years, Chris has been instrumental in shaping various aspects of Facebook, from overseeing a wide range of products to influencing the company's culture. According to a CNBC report, whenever new Facebook employees start working at the company, they are always welcomed by Chris Cox himself. Henry Liu, a former strategic manager at Facebook, stated:

Chris is one of the most respected individuals in the entire company. His charisma, passion for the future of social interactions, and his ability to narrate the story of Facebook products to the public, always leave everyone in the meeting feeling inspired.

Return After Ideological Differences

Facebook CEO Zuckerberg released a "Privacy Manifesto" in March last year, emphasizing a future vision centered around privacy. Chris resigned shortly after this significant shift was announced by Facebook. Speculations arose that Chris's departure was due to ideological differences, particularly regarding strategies focusing on encryption and privacy. It was suggested that with all data encrypted, initiatives led by Chris to combat fake news, hate speech, and more would become more challenging to implement.

After a year-long absence, Chris announced his return. In a personal post, he mentioned that global economic and political turmoil this year was a key reason for his comeback and believed that Facebook was where he could make a difference in the world. He stated:

This is a place I know and love, and where I helped build. The events of this year have affected my decision, especially with the pandemic, the subsequent economic collapse, and the ongoing racial unrest. I have been watching Facebook closely, and the progress they have made on significant issues excites me. With the world in more turmoil over the past month, it has given me greater resolve to come back and help.

As it stands, Chris Cox is expected to resume his role as Chief Product Officer, but it is uncertain if he will oversee specific products under Facebook. Following the news, David Marcus, co-creator of Libra, also congratulated Chris in the comments section of his post, expressing his excitement about the return.

Currently, the Libra project appears to be continuing its regulatory efforts. Apart from appointing a former HSBC Chief Legal Officer as the association's CEO, this month they also hired Sterling Daines, a former advisor to the U.S. Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) and current Managing Director at Credit Suisse, as the association's Chief Legal Officer.