Facebook appoints its first black board member, Kenneth Chenault of Amex

Facebook just appointed it's first black board member.

Kenneth Chenault, the outgoing CEO of American Express, will join the 13-year-old company's all-white board.

For Facebook, the decision upholds the promise COO Sheryl Sandberg made with the Congressional Black Caucus in October. Chenault also brings decades of experience working at a financial company that's ranked highly for customer satisfaction and known for brand loyalty.

That brand respect is something Facebook could use after a year of reckoning with the rise of fake news, its role in the 2016 president election, and "destroying how society works."

CEO Mark Zuckerberg was named "Misinformer of the Year" by media watchdog group Media Matters for America.

Zuckerberg has been trying to recruit Chenault to Facebook for years, according to his Facebook post announcing the appointment.

Chenault "has unique expertise in areas I believe Facebook needs to learn and improve — customer service, direct commerce, and building a trusted brand," said Zuckerberg. "Ken also has a strong sense of social mission and the perspective that comes from running an important public company for decades.”

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Chenault joined American Express in 1981 and became CEO in 2001. He announced his retirement in October and will leave on Feb. 1. He officially joins Facebook's board on Feb. 5.

"Thanks Mark. I have enjoyed our conversations over the years. I'm very excited about working with you, the board and the team to make a meaningful difference in peoples' lives," Chenault replied to Zuckerberg's Facebook post.

I think I speak for everyone when I say we're looking forward to those "meaningful" differences.