Facebook hires former Uber PR chief Rachel Whetstone

Rachel Whetstone, the former top public relations executive at Uber, is joining Facebook as vice-president of communications for Instagram, WhatsApp and Messenger. Whetstone, a British public relations guru who worked for some of the UK's most powerful Conservative politicians, stepped down as head of public policy and communications at Uber in April following a string of corporate scandals. Before Uber, Whetstone worked at Google as the head of communications and public policy. "It's a real privilege to be joining the Facebook family," Whetstone said in a statement. "Products like WhatsApp have become an important part of my life – making it so much easier to stay in touch with my own family and friends."