A boost for Zuckerberg: UFC CEO Dana White joins Meta board

Dana White, 55, is the president and CEO of the UFC, who has turned the organization into one of the fastest-growing and most popular sports enterprises in the world. White, a close friend of Zuckerberg and a martial arts enthusiast, has partnered with Meta in the past on integrating AI into the UFC’s ranking system.

John Elkann, chairman of Stellantis and Ferrari, brings with him rich experience in global business management and an international perspective. In addition, he owns the Juventus soccer club and leads a non-profit educational foundation.

Charlie Songhurst, a former chief strategy officer at Microsoft, has been involved in huge deals, such as buying Skype, and led Meta’s technology roadmap as part of an AI advisory board last year.

White supported former President Donald Trump during the 2024 election and was a speaker at the Republican convention. He even appeared in Trump’s first TikTok video, and is credited with raising Trump’s profile among young people.

With the addition of White, Alken and Songhurst, Meta’s board of directors now has 13 members. Zuckerberg noted that the year 2025 is expected to be significant for the company, and expressed confidence that the strengthened board will help achieve the strategic vision.