Facebook Poaches COO From Google

Facebook has hired the Google VP who handles virtually all advertising sales in a bid to ease the hiccups the rapidly expanding networking site is encountering. New COO Sheryl Sandberg, one of Silicon Valley's top female execs, denied that Google's plummeting stock price motivated the move, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Said Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg: “Sheryl has I think the most relevant industry experience we could find at this point.” The 500-person company has seen its business surge but is having trouble generating ad revenue. Google will replace Sandberg with her deputy. “We have a deep management bench,” the unfazed company said. (More Facebook stories.)