Meta has announced the appointment of three new board members, including Dana White, the chief executive of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and a close ally of Donald Trump.
The move comes as Meta’s CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, appears to be taking steps to rebuild relations with Trump ahead of the US president-elect’s inauguration later this month.
This announcement follows the recent departure of Sir Nick Clegg, former UK deputy prime minister and Liberal Democrat leader, who stepped down from his role as Meta’s president of global affairs.
The other newly appointed board members are John Elkann, head of the European investment firm Exor, and Charlie Songhurst, a former Microsoft executive.
“Dana, John and Charlie will add a depth of expertise and perspective that will help us tackle the massive opportunities ahead with [artificial intelligence], wearables and the future of human connection,” said Mr Zuckerberg in a statement.
The social media giant also praised Mr White’s role in turning UFC into a global business.
In a post on Meta’s Instagram, Mr White said he loves social media and is “excited to be a small part of the future of [artificial intelligence] and emerging technologies.”
Mr White has previously rejected any suggestion that UFC platforms hate speech, insisting he supports free speech.
A year ago his tense exchange with a reporter who questioned why he allowed fighters to make anti-LGBT remarks went viral.
“People can say whatever they want and they can believe whatever they want,” Mr White retorted.
The UFC president, Dana White, has maintained a close relationship with Donald Trump for decades.
White’s appointment comes on the heels of news that Sir Nick Clegg is being replaced by his deputy, the prominent Republican Joel Kaplan, who has managed Meta’s interactions with the Republican Party.
There has been a noticeable shift in the relationship between Meta and Trump in recent months.
Tensions had been high since Trump was banned from Facebook and Instagram following the January 2021 US Capitol riot.
In August, Trump claimed in a book that Mark Zuckerberg would “spend the rest of his life in prison” if he attempted to influence the 2024 US election.
However, Trump later softened his stance, stating in October that it was “nice” Zuckerberg was “staying out of the election” and thanked him for a personal phone call following an assassination attempt.
Zuckerberg visited Mar-a-Lago and dined with Trump after the latter’s electoral victory in November. Earlier this month, Zuckerberg also donated $1 million (£800,000) to the president-elect’s inauguration fund.