Pinterest, the visual discovery engine, today announced that Francoise Brougher will join the company as Chief Operating Officer. As COO, Brougher will be responsible for managing and growing Pinterest’s operations around the world and will lead the global sales, partner marketing, measurement, corporate and business development and communications teams. Brougher will be instrumental in bringing the company through its next phase of growth as it continues to expand its user base internationally and scale its global advertising program.
Brougher brings more than 25 years of business and operations experience to Pinterest. Most recently, Brougher was Square’s Business Lead where she was responsible for the company’s growth operations. Previously, she was the Vice President of SMB Global Sales and Operations at Google, where she led the teams responsible for acquiring, growing, and retaining small and medium sized business advertisers.
“We are really excited that Francoise is joining Pinterest as our first Chief Operating Officer,” said Ben Silbermann, CEO and co-founder, Pinterest. “She is a world-class manager and a sharp strategic thinker. Francoise’s experience is going to be an incredible asset for our company and our mission of helping people discover and do what they love.”
Brougher will be part of the executive management team and will report to Ben Silbermann, CEO and co-founder of Pinterest. She will start on March 12th and will be based at Pinterest’s headquarters in San Francisco.
About Francoise Brougher
Francoise Brougher was most recently Square’s Business Lead and oversaw the company’s growth operations including revenue products, international expansion, customer support, and partnerships. Previously, she was the Vice President of SMB Global Sales and Operations at Google, where she led global teams in charge of acquiring, growing, and retaining small advertisers. Prior to that, she led the business operations group leading a team of strategy and operations experts who worked cross-functionally to help Google innovate at scale by designing business processes and solving strategic business problems. Before joining Google, Brougher served as Vice President of Business Strategy at Charles Schwab & Co. for five years, and from 1998–2000 as the Chief Executive Officer of Ocean Gem Pearl Corporation. She also was a management consultant for Booz Allen Hamilton in Europe and the US, and early in her career worked in manufacturing for L’Oreal in Japan. Brougher earned a Masters in Business Administration from Harvard Business School in 1994, and a Masters in Engineering from Institut Catholique d’Arts et Metiers in France. She joined the board of Sodexo S.A., the global food services and facility management company, in January 2012.