Facebook的首席執行官馬克·扎克伯格于3月14日宣布，首席產品官克里斯·科克斯與WhatsApp的副總裁克里斯·丹尼爾斯將離開公司。對于這家問題纏身的社交網絡而言，上述高管的離職只不過是近期該公司高管離職潮的縮影。

科克斯的離職對于Facebook的影響尤為重大，他曾經是公司招聘的首批15名工程人員之一。隨著公司的發展壯大，科克斯的職位也是水漲船高，職責涉及Facebook包括News Feed在內的各類產品，以及公司的策略。Facebook的一份監管報備文件顯示，科克斯在3月11日發布了這一聲明。

科克斯在其Facebook頁面的留言中表示，Facebook正在調整其策略，意圖打造一個橫跨各個應用的私密消息發送網絡，這也成為了他離開公司的導火索。

他寫道：“正如馬克所規劃的那樣，我們掀開了產品發展方向的新篇章，即專注于加密、可互操作的信息發送網絡。這個產品愿景反映了當今的主題：打造在表達、安全、保密和隱私領域較為均衡的現代化交流平臺。這將是一個大項目，而且我們需要熱衷于此事的領袖來掌控業務發展的新方向?！?/p>

首席執行官扎克伯格在宣布上述變化的一篇博文中表示，他十分欣賞科克斯“想公司服務對象之所想的做法，以及他在每一項工作中所體現的樂觀精神?！痹瞬襁€宣布，WhatsApp的副總裁克里斯·丹尼爾斯也將離開公司。在執掌WhatsApp之前，丹尼爾斯曾經負責Facebook的業務開發團隊，并領導扎克伯格慈善企業Internet.org，該公司致力于在發展中國家提供互聯網連接。

扎克伯格寫道：“克里斯是我所見過的思維最清晰、最有原則的商業思想者之一，他曾經幫助我們解決了各種各樣的挑戰，令人嘆為觀止。與克里斯共事是一件非常開心的事情，無論他今后選擇從事什么職業，我相信他都會做的十分出色。盡管他的離職令人十分惋惜，但也為更多對公司今后發展道路感到振奮的優秀領導者創造了機會，他們也將借此承擔更重要的全新職責?！?/p>

扎克伯格說，前Facebook應用業務負責人威爾·卡斯卡特被任命為WhatsApp的新負責人。Facebook視頻、游戲和貨幣化業務副總裁費吉·西莫將擔任Facebook應用業務負責人。對于科克斯的職務，扎克伯格表示在近期內沒有任命任何人的打算，而是會依靠Facebook各個業務部門的負責人。

科克斯與丹尼爾斯是離開Facebook的新一批高管。在經歷了隱私丑聞以及人們對平臺上持續傳播的假新聞的斥責之后，公司正在試圖給自己進行重新定位。

去年9月，Instagram的聯合創始人麥克·克里格與凱文·西斯特羅姆離開了公司，據報道，這兩人與扎克伯格之間的關系十分緊張。WhatsApp其中一位創始人簡·科姆去年在其聯合創始人布萊恩·阿克頓離職前往其他新公司數月之后也離開了公司。阿克頓自那之后便發聲鼓勵人們刪除Facebook，而且在3月13日還再次呼吁過。（財富中文網）

譯者：Pessy

審校：夏林

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced on March 14 that Chief Product Officer Chris Cox, and WhatsApp Vice President Chris Daniels, will be leaving the company, marking the latest in a string of executive departures for the embattled social network.

Cox’s departure is especially enormous for Facebook, where he was one of the first 15 engineering hires. As the company grew, Cox climbed his way through the ranks, touching every key Facebook product, including its News Feed, and most recently the company’s strategy. Cox gave his notice on March 11, according to a regulatory filing from Facebook.

In a note posted to his Facebook page, Cox said the shift in Facebook strategy toward create a private messaging network across its apps made it the right time for him to step aside.

“As Mark has outlined, we are turning a new page in our product direction, focused on an encrypted, interoperable, messaging network. It’s a product vision attuned to the subject matter of today: a modern communications platform that balances expression, safety, security, and privacy,” he wrote. “This will be a big project and we will need leaders who are excited to see the new direction through.”

Zuckerberg said he appreciates Cox’s “deep empathy for the people using our services and the uplifting spirit he brings to everything he does,” according to a blog post by the CEO announcing the changes. Zuckerberg also announced that WhatsApp Vice President Chris Daniels is leaving the company. Prior to leading WhatsApp, Daniels ran the business development team at Facebook and led Internet.org, Zuckerberg’s philanthropic venture to bring Internet connectivity to the developing world.

“Chris is one of the clearest and most principled business thinkers I’ve met and the diversity of challenges he has helped us navigate is impressive. I’ve really enjoyed working with Chris and I’m sure he will do great work at whatever he chooses to take on next,” Zuckerberg wrote. “While it is sad to lose such great people, this also creates opportunities for more great leaders who are energized about the path ahead to take on new and bigger roles.”

Will Cathcart, who previously was head of the Facebook app, was named the new head of WhatsApp. Fidji Simo, vice president of video, games, and monetization at Facebook, will take over as the head of the Facebook app, Zuckerberg said. As for Cox’s role, Zuckerberg said he doesn’t plan to appoint anyone in the near term, and will instead rely on the heads of each business unit at Facebook.

Cox and Daniels are the latest executives to leave Facebook, as the company tries to reposition itself after dealing with privacy scandals and the ongoing scourge of fake news spreading on the platform.

Last September, Instagram co-founders Mike Krieger and Kevin Systrom, quit after reported tensions with Zuckerberg. Jan Koum, one of the co-founders of WhatsApp, also left the company last year, months after his co-founder, Brian Acton, left to pursue other ventures. Acton has since been vocal encouraging people to delete Facebook, renewing the call on March 13.