Facebook may lose COO Sheryl Sandberg to Disney in 2016

Facebook Inc. (NASDAQ:FB) may soon be scrambling to replace one of its most formidable executives, COO Sheryl Sandberg. Rumors have been flying that Sandberg is one of the contenders to take over Disney CEO Bob Iger’s position, if he retires in 2016.

Sandberg helped turn Facebook into a profitable company. She also holds $695 million in Facebook shares. She has a record of success; she was once Chief of Staff to Treasury Secretary Larry Summers at the age of 27.

Although Sandberg is number two at Facebook, some analysts believe that it shouldn’t be expected for her to stay with the company forever. They also warn that it shouldn’t worry investors either way. Zachary Karabell, Head of Global Strategy at Envestnet and President of RiverTwice Research asserts, “You’ve got to assume that at some point Sheryl Sandberg is going to move to the next thing in her own career. So if you’re owning Facebook now with the assumption that she’s going to be there in five years, you’re going to be wrong.”

Facebook’s long-term potential should not lie in the hands of one person, but it should be reliant upon the culture the company puts in place. Not to mention, Facebook’s stock is strong in every sector. For the short-term, analysts find it to be positive.

Short-term traders are expected to profit, but things are not so clear for long-term investors. Moreover, over 80% of Wall Street analysts consider the stock a “buy.” This gives it a large number of bullish fans.

Disney has experienced some troubles, which led it to layoffs over the past few years. Sandberg may be able to turn that around the way she did with Facebook.