On April 15, Meta announced the appointment of Patrick Collison and Dina Powell McCormick to its board of directors. This move comes as Meta faces new technological and market challenges, aiming to enhance the company's governance and strategic development by bringing in fresh perspectives and specialized expertise. Patrick Collison, 36, is the co-founder and CEO of Stripe, one of the world's most valuable fintech startups with a 2023 valuation exceeding $100 billion. Stripe has distinguished itself by providing innovative online payment processing solutions, particularly valuable to small businesses and startups looking to expand their international reach. Collison's leadership in technology and business management will be crucial in guiding Meta's efforts in global payments and fintech. Dina Powell McCormick, 57, brings over two decades of experience in finance and investment banking from her tenure at Goldman Sachs. She also has significant expertise in public policy, international relations, and education, currently serving as the chairman of the Harris School of Public Policy at the University of Chicago. As a prominent female leader, McCormick has been instrumental in supporting women entrepreneurs and advancing corporate social responsibility. Her addition to the board will bolster Meta's initiatives in these areas. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg expressed his enthusiasm for the new board members, stating, "Patrick and Dina's contributions will greatly enrich our board. Their achievements and extensive experience will help us address the challenges we face and drive innovation in technology and services." Founded in 2004 as Facebook, Meta has evolved into a leading tech company with a portfolio that includes Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company is now focusing on virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to create more immersive and interactive digital experiences. Industry experts view the expansion of Meta's board as a strategic move to navigate external regulatory pressures and internal innovation needs. By adding Collison and McCormick, Meta can gain broader insights in fintech and enhance its governance and corporate responsibility. This shift is expected to positively impact Meta's long-term development, particularly in global market expansion and the exploration of new technologies. --- Stripe CEO Patrick Collison has implemented a new strategy to ensure the company remains closely attuned to user needs: every two weeks, a customer is invited to attend the first 30 minutes of leadership team meetings. These meetings typically involve around 40 senior managers from various departments, providing a platform for customers to share their real-time feedback on the Stripe payment platform. Collison shared this strategy on social media platform X, noting that while Stripe already gathers user feedback through multiple channels, each customer visit to the meeting sparks "new ideas and investigations." The initiative received widespread support, including from Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and SpaceX, who praised the idea the next day on X. Stripe, co-founded by Patrick and his brother John Collison in 2010, provides software tools for both online and in-person payment processing. The company serves millions of businesses globally, including half of the Fortune 100. By 2024, Stripe processed $1.4 trillion in payments, marking a 38% year-over-year increase, and in early 2025, its valuation reached $91.5 billion, solidifying its position as one of the world's most valuable private fintech companies. Despite its success, Stripe has faced criticism from some users, particularly independent developers and small businesses, who feel the company has become less supportive. Investor and co-founder Pascal Levy-Garboua commented on Collison's post, expressing concern about the declining support for the independent community. However, many other users praised the customer engagement approach, with Cloudflare CTO Dane Knecht and Shopify engineering lead Farhan Thawar both showing interest and approving of the strategy. Additionally, in January 2025, Stripe announced a 3.5% reduction in its workforce, which amounted to 300 employees. Despite this, the company's HR chief, Rob McIntosh, stated that Stripe plans to grow its employee base to around 10,000 by the end of the year. Experts believe this customer participation strategy will help Stripe maintain a strong connection with its users and ensure continuous improvement of the user experience during rapid expansion. It reflects the company's commitment to staying user-focused and compassionate, which is essential for retaining market leadership and enhancing user satisfaction and loyalty. --- The appointment of Patrick Collison and Dina Powell McCormick to Meta’s board is a strategic move aimed at strengthening the company’s governance and strategic direction in the face of regulatory and innovation challenges. Collison’s fintech expertise and McCormick’s background in finance, public policy, and social responsibility will provide valuable insights and guidance. Meanwhile, Stripe’s new customer engagement strategy, initiated by Collison, is seen as a positive step to maintain user satisfaction and loyalty, even as the company expands and faces criticism. Both initiatives underscore the importance of staying user-focused and strategically adaptive in the highly competitive tech industry.