MENLO PARK, CA — Facebook’s director of corporate communications Tucker Bounds has left the social network to become co-founder of a startup, meanwhile, Diageo’s Michelle Klein is joining as head of global agency marketing. 

Bounds had been with Facebook since 2011, starting out as manager and climbing to director during his three-year stint. He managed corporate communications, including corporate media relations, exec communications, internal communications and Facebook stories/editorial teams.

He's now working on a mobile news startup called Sidewire with Andy Bromberg — a math and computer science student who recently left Stanford University.  

"At this early stage, we're a small team focused on product development," Bounds told the Holmes Report.

Bounds has a background in public policy, having worked as deputy communications director/national spokesman for John McCain's 2008 presidential bid and for Meg Whitman's gubernatorial effort in California in 2010. He's also held posts at the American Insurance Association, the Republican National Committee and as press secretary for former Republican US Senator Gordon Smith. 

Klein, meanwhile, has been with Diageo since 2006 and has been VP of global marketing and communications for its Smirnoff brand since 2010. A spokesperson for Facebook confirmed that Klein would be joining the social network but did not specify a date.