Facebook Chief Technology Officer to Step Down in 2022

SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook said on Wednesday that Mike Schroepfer, the chief technology officer and a longtime executive, planned to step down from his position next year, in a rare change to the top ranks of the social network.

Mr. Schroepfer, who has worked at Facebook for more than 13 years, plans to transition into a role as a senior fellow, which he said would allow him to focus on activities outside the company.

“This is a difficult decision because of how much I love Facebook and how excited I am about the future we are building together,” Mr. Schroepfer said in a post on his personal Facebook page. He said he would spend more time with family and on personal philanthropic efforts while continuing to work on recruiting and developing technical talent for Facebook.

Mr. Schroepfer will be replaced as chief technology officer by Andrew Bosworth, another longtime Facebook employee and a close friend of Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook’s founder and chief executive. Mr. Bosworth, who is better known inside the company by his nickname, Boz, has worked in many different parts of Facebook, including developing its advertising products and building its virtual reality and video devices.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.