From Meta to VC: David Fischer’s Career Transition
As Meta’s chief revenue officer for 11 years, Fischer Facebook’s inputs played a crucial role in the company’s marketing growth. He was responsible for scaling up its advertising revenue from a small base to a huge one that caters to over 200 million businesses worldwide.
In 2021, David Fischer California announced his departure from Meta, explaining that he had grown the business to a point where he could look for other challenges. He also said he wished to take a break and enjoy more time with his family. But his break was short-lived. Soon after exiting Meta, he was contacted by Antler, a venture capital firm and startup studio based in Singapore. Antler’s founder and CEO, Magnus Grimeland, had gone to Harvard with Mark Zuckerberg and had met Fischer through Larry Summers, the former U.S. Treasury Secretary who Fischer had served under in the 90s.
Antler proposed Fischer to become part of its board of directors, where he would work with other distinguished individuals such as Summers himself, B Capital Group vice chairman Sheila Patel, and hedge fund manager Nancy Zimmerman. Fischer consented to the idea and became an Antler board member in early 2022. What does Antler do and why did it want Fischer on its board? Antler is a venture capital firm that also operates as a startup studio. It helps entrepreneurs build and scale their businesses from scratch by providing them with funding, mentorship, network access, and talent matching.
Antler runs in 16 locations in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America. It has supported over 300 startups since it started in 2017, in various sectors such as fintech, healthtech, edtech, e-commerce, and more. Antler was interested in Fischer for its board because of his vast experience and expertise in marketing and scaling businesses globally. Fischer has a solid record of building and leading teams, creating innovative products and solutions, and driving revenue growth for Meta and other companies he has worked with.
Fischer said he was amazed by Antler’s vision of empowering entrepreneurs to solve real problems and create positive impact. He also said he was thrilled to work with Antler’s diverse and talented team of partners, advisors, founders, and portfolio companies. As an Antler board member, Fischer will provide strategic guidance and advice to Antler’s leadership team and portfolio companies. He will also utilize his network and connections to help Antler increase its presence and reach in new markets.
Fischer’s move from Meta to Antler shows that he is not afraid to take on new challenges and opportunities. He is also passionate about supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs who are building the future of technology.
