Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg Announces Engagement to Marketing Executive Tom Bernthal

Facebook Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg put out word Monday that she is engaged to marry, nearly five years after being widowed. The social network's number two executive announced her engagement to the head of a consulting firm, Tom Bernthal.

In a post on her page at the leading online social network, Sandberg proclaimed herself engaged to marketing executive Tom Bernthal. "Engaged!!! Tom Bernthal, you are my everything. I could not love you more," wrote the Facebook COO.

Sandberg, 50, posted a picture of her and Bernthal, the co-founder and chief executive officer of consulting firm Kelton Global, on her Instagram and Facebook profiles. Bernthal had previously worked in the White House under President Bill Clinton and for NBC News, where he was an Emmy Award-winning television producer.

Sandberg lost her husband, Dave Goldberg, who headed online polling firm SurveyMonkey, in 2015. He died suddenly after falling on a treadmill and striking his head at an upscale resort in Mexico at age 47. The couple, who were married for 11 years, has two children. Author of the feminist bestseller Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, Sandberg is one of the most high profile female executives in US business. She also wrote the bestselling book Option B, which is about coping with the sudden death of her husband.

Sandberg will celebrate her 51st birthday in August.

Among the first to congratulate was Facebook Chief Executive Officer and long-time friend Mark Zuckerberg. "Congrats! You're wonderful for each other and I'm so happy for both of you," Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a comment section under Sandberg's post.

Sandberg has long been seen as a stabilising force at Facebook as Zuckerberg has matured at the helm of the social network that had a mantra of "move fast and break things" in its early years.

Among the tech whiz kids, Sandberg as chief operating officer offered a steady hand as a result of her background working for former US Treasury secretary Larry Summers and the philanthropic arm of Google.