TLDRs:
- Meta’s John Hegeman departs to launch startup, signaling major AI-focused leadership shift.
- Andrew Bocking assumes CRO responsibilities as Meta intensifies automated advertising strategy.
- Naomi Gleit named head of Business AI, guiding AI-powered tools for brands.
- Meta’s AI reorganization strengthens Advantage+ ad platform and integration with CRM systems.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a significant leadership change as its Chief Revenue Officer, John Hegeman, prepares to leave the company to start his own venture.
Hegeman shared the news on his Facebook account, marking a pivotal moment as Meta accelerates its AI initiatives across advertising and business solutions.
Andrew Bocking, who currently oversees Meta’s ad product and strategy team, will take over Hegeman’s responsibilities. This transition underscores Meta’s strategic focus on automated ad systems and AI-driven business tools, positioning the company to enhance its monetization and client support capabilities.

Business AI Leadership Shifts
Alongside Hegeman’s departure, Meta announced additional leadership moves in its AI division. Naomi Gleit, formerly head of product, will now lead Business AI, Meta’s platform designed to provide small and mid-sized firms with AI-powered guidance for advertising campaigns.
Meanwhile, Clara Shih, who previously headed Business AI, is also leaving the company, signaling a broader restructuring of Meta’s AI teams.
Business AI aims to integrate across Meta’s ecosystem, including Messenger, WhatsApp, and brand websites, allowing companies to manage campaigns, interact with customers, and generate personalized content with AI efficiency. The platform emphasizes automated ad buying, creative optimization, and insights tailored to business needs.
AI Integration in Advertising
Meta’s automated advertising tools, particularly Advantage+, have become a central component of the company’s revenue strategy. These tools now generate more than $60 billion in annualized revenue, helping businesses optimize campaigns and reduce costs per lead by roughly 14% on average.
Under Bocking’s expanded remit, Meta intends to push deeper into persona-based image generation and AI-driven creative content. By tailoring visuals to specific audience segments, Advantage+ allows marketers to run more effective campaigns with automated efficiency.
Additionally, AI workflows can now be linked to customer service platforms like Salesforce Service Cloud, Microsoft Dynamics 365, ServiceNow, and Zendesk, enabling brands to seamlessly manage queries and route complex interactions to human agents or automated bots.
Opportunities for Martech Vendors and Agencies
Meta’s AI reorganization presents opportunities for third-party marketing technology vendors. Platforms outside Meta’s existing partnerships can build connectors to integrate Business AI chats with order management systems, loyalty programs, and other customer data platforms.
Agencies, meanwhile, can offer industry-specific testing, optimization, and dashboard analysis services for businesses leveraging Meta’s AI solutions.
The overall restructuring demonstrates Meta’s commitment to using AI not just for internal efficiency but as a service for businesses navigating increasingly competitive digital advertising landscapes. CEO Mark Zuckerberg has consolidated AI efforts under Superintelligence Labs, and the company recently brought in Alexandr Wang, former Scale AI CEO, to lead these initiatives, signaling a broader push toward advanced AI infrastructure.


