PayPal Exec, Peggy Alford, on the verge of becoming the first black woman to sit on Facebook's board of directors

Peggy Alford, senior vice president of PayPal's core markets, has been selected to serve on Facebook's board of directors and is able to become the first black woman to sit on its board.

Alford has the support of Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. In a statement released, Facebook's founder said, "Peggy is one of those rare people who is an expert in many areas – from business management to operations finance, to product development. I know that she will have excellent ideas that will help us face the opportunities and challenges facing our business. "

She has been with PayPal since 2019 and was also CFO and Chief Operating Officer of Chan Zuckerberg, a philanthropic organization founded by Mark Zuckerberg and his wife, Priscilla Chan.

A veteran of Silicon Valley, Alford has also held executive positions at eBay and Rent.com. She is from a family of six children. His mother holds a PhD in mathematics and computer science from the University of Pittsburgh.

Alford holds a Bachelor's degree in Accounting and Business Administration from the University of Dayton, Ohio, where she has played in athletics and cross country. Centered on her career, she had her first child at age 41 and her second at age 45. In an interview published on the PayPal website, she spoke about work-life balance: "Balance can be extremely difficult for working mothers. find that middle ground to continue to advance their careers and do what they feel they should do at home. Women often choose not to participate or feel that they can not look for this next big opportunity because it will take away their responsibilities at home.

"What makes me so passionate about joining Facebook's board of directors is the company's willingness to deal with difficult issues while continuing to improve the incredible connection experiences it has built over the years." years, "she said. "I look forward to working with Mark and the other directors as the company creates inspiring new ways to help people connect and create a community."

Alford will still have to be voted on the board at Facebook's next shareholder meeting. As a general rule, female candidates, particularly those supported by the CEO of a corporation, are appointed to the board of directors, so that her position as a board member is likely.

At his official appointment, Alford would be the second African-American on Facebook's board of directors. Last year, Ken Chenault, retired CEO of American Express, joined the company's board of directors. Zuckerberg said at the time that he was trying to recruit Chenault "for years."

Alford is on the Black Enterprise Register of Corporate Directors for his role as a member of the Board of Directors of The Macerich Co., a real estate investment trust.

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