As ephemeral messaging app Snapchat fends off offers from major social networking players, the company has just made a pretty significant hire. According to All Things D, Snapchat has poached former Facebook director and Instagram business head Emily White to be their new COO.

Back in April, White joined the Instagram team as their new Director of Business Operations and was pivotal in getting the company’s new ad unit off the ground. Instagram’s in-stream ads (or sponsored posts as they call them) were announced back in October and finally went live in early November.

Before joining the Facebook-owned Instagram, White served as Facebook’s Director of Mobile Partnerships.

“It happened really quickly, but to have an actual COO role in one of many companies that is disrupting the communications arena is one I could not pass up. I have always been captivated by the creativity that has gone into the product – and I think that [CEO Evan Spiegel] has been looking for someone who can help him grow and scale what is already something that has changed a lot of the way people think about the mobile experience,” said White.

As All Things D points out, this move signifies that Snapchat is serious about staying independent and working on ratcheting up their business. Last month, reports emerged that Facebook had tried to buy Snapchat for $3 billion, and were turned down. It’s clear that the company has put a high value on both its independence and worth.

Image via Emily White, Instagram