In a significant boardroom change, Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook, announced the resignation of board member Dina Powell McCormick on December 19. Her departure comes just eight months after she joined the board in April.
Sudden Exit and Potential New Role
Dina Powell McCormick resigned with immediate effect, as confirmed by the company. A former deputy national security adviser during Donald Trump's first presidential term, her exit was reported by Reuters. However, sources familiar with the matter indicate this may not be a complete severance of ties.
A person briefed on the situation revealed that while Powell McCormick is leaving the board, she might continue to work with Meta in a different capacity. The potential new role is said to be broader, focusing on providing strategic guidance and advice on investments. Furthermore, Meta reportedly does not intend to fill the vacant board seat she leaves behind.
A Profile of the Departing Board Member
Powell McCormick brought a wealth of experience from both the public and private sectors to Meta's board. Prior to her brief stint at Meta, she had an illustrious 16-year career at the global investment bank Goldman Sachs. There, she held senior leadership positions and was at the forefront of the firm's initiatives in sustainability, inclusive growth, and impact investing.
Her government credentials are equally impressive, having served in two separate U.S. administrations. She was a senior adviser in the George W. Bush White House and later served as the assistant secretary of state under then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
Her appointment to Meta's board in April was part of the tech giant's plan to expand its board to 15 members. She joined alongside Stripe CEO Patrick Collison. The board continues to include notable figures like Marc Andreessen, co-founder of Andreessen Horowitz, and Tony Xu, the CEO of DoorDash.
Meta's AI Ambitions: New Tools 'Mango' and 'Avocado' in the Works
Separately, Meta is aggressively advancing its artificial intelligence capabilities. According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, the company is developing new AI models for image and video generation.
Citing internal sources, the report states that Meta's chief AI officer, Alexandr Wang, discussed these upcoming models during an internal company Q&A session with Chief Product Officer Chris Cox. The development signals Meta's intent to compete directly with other tech leaders in the generative AI space.
One of the image generation tools is internally codenamed 'Mango'. Another model, codenamed 'Avocado', is focused on a different frontier. Wang explained that the Avocado model's primary objective is to enhance and improve coding skills, a crucial area for developer productivity.
These new AI models are currently slated for release in the first half of 2026. Upon launch, they are expected to compete with existing offerings like Google's Nano Banana and Veo, as well as OpenAI's ChatGPT Image and the highly-touted video generator, Sora.
Strategic Implications and Market Competition
The dual developments highlight Meta's ongoing strategic evolution. The board change, while sudden, suggests a possible shift in how the company seeks high-level counsel, potentially moving some advisory functions outside the formal board structure. Meanwhile, the heavy investment in next-generation AI tools underscores Meta's commitment to being a leader in the foundational technology that is reshaping the digital landscape.
The race for AI supremacy is intensifying, and Meta's planned 2026 launch of 'Mango' and 'Avocado' sets the stage for the next wave of competition against rivals Google and OpenAI. The success of these tools could significantly influence Meta's product ecosystem across its social media platforms and the metaverse.
