● Covered by 4 sources · 10 reportsMedium impact1 negative9 neutral
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Placed on Paid Leave, Mark Davies Named Interim CEO
Key points
- Matt Mullenweg placed on paid leave of absence by Automattic board.
- Mark Davies, CFO, appointed interim CEO.
- Mullenweg stated the decision was made without his consent.
- Mullenweg remains a board member.
- Mullenweg claims Mark Davies conspired with Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker.
- Mullenweg was denied time to review the resolution with independent legal counsel.
- Matt Mullenweg announced via Slack he is back in control as Automattic CEO.
- Mullenweg's statement was confirmed by two sources.
- Automattic's board voted to oust Mullenweg as CEO.
- Mullenweg posted a message to Automattic's Slack.
- A spokesperson from Automattic confirmed Mullenweg was on leave and Davies was interim CEO.
- Mullenweg announced his return via Slack on Thursday evening.
- Mullenweg linked to LL Cool J's music video for "Mama Said Knock You Out."
- Mullenweg's Slack profile picture shows him wearing a pirate hat and eyepatch.
- Mark Davies's Slack account was deactivated as of Friday.
- TechCrunch first reported Mullenweg's comments about being back in control.
- Automattic confirmed Mullenweg's return as CEO via email to TechCrunch.
- Automattic's spokesperson mentioned online support for Mullenweg.
- Mullenweg has been reposting supportive posts from X.
- Jeremy Klaperman appointed interim CFO of Automattic.
- Klaperman was CFO of Automattic's WordPress VIP Enterprise unit.
- Klaperman previously acted as Automattic CFO during Davies' sabbatical.
- Automattic is evaluating candidates for permanent CFO.
- A candidate verbally accepted the Chief Legal Officer position.
- Andy Missan, Chief Legal Officer, left Automattic.
- Davies and Missan signed reciprocal severance deals.
- Automattic's new board was announced to staff on Friday.
- The new board includes Hugh Howey, author of the "Silo" book series.
- The new board includes Amy Chan, author of "Breakup Bootcamp."
- The new board includes two co-founders of the defunct social app IRL.
Leadership Change at Automattic
Automattic CEO and founder Matt Mullenweg announced via a company-wide Slack message that he has been put on a paid leave of absence. He stated that the company's Board of Directors, including Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker, voted for this action, with CFO Mark Davies appointed as the interim CEO.
Mullenweg's Account of the Decision
Mullenweg reported that he received the resolution for his leave 50 minutes before the board meeting and was denied requests for legal review time. He voted against the decision. Mullenweg will remain a board member and will have a voice in setting direction and making decisions, according to Davies.
Interim CEO's Statement
Mark Davies, the new interim CEO, stated his intention to support Mullenweg, the board, Automattic, and its customers. He also indicated that no immediate changes are expected as a result of Mullenweg's leave. Toni Schneider, a board member, confirmed the board's decision and expressed confidence in Davies' ability to lead during this period.
Background and Context
Automattic owns several internet brands, including WordPress, Tumblr, and Pocket Casts. Mullenweg has faced controversies regarding his management in recent years, including a legal dispute with WP Engine and an "Alignment Offer" in 2024 that allowed employees to leave with six months' pay or $30,000 if they disagreed with his stances.
Updates
- Automattic's new board was announced to staff on Friday.
- The new board includes Hugh Howey, author of the "Silo" book series.
- The new board includes Amy Chan, author of "Breakup Bootcamp."
- The new board includes two co-founders of the defunct social app IRL.
- Jeremy Klaperman appointed interim CFO of Automattic.
- Klaperman was CFO of Automattic's WordPress VIP Enterprise unit.
- Klaperman previously acted as Automattic CFO during Davies' sabbatical.
- Automattic is evaluating candidates for permanent CFO.
- A candidate verbally accepted the Chief Legal Officer position.
- Andy Missan, Chief Legal Officer, left Automattic.
- Davies and Missan signed reciprocal severance deals.
- Automattic confirmed Mullenweg's return as CEO via email to TechCrunch.
- Automattic's spokesperson mentioned online support for Mullenweg.
- Mullenweg has been reposting supportive posts from X.
- Mullenweg announced his return via Slack on Thursday evening.
- Mullenweg linked to LL Cool J's music video for "Mama Said Knock You Out."
- Mullenweg's Slack profile picture shows him wearing a pirate hat and eyepatch.
- Mark Davies's Slack account was deactivated as of Friday.
- TechCrunch first reported Mullenweg's comments about being back in control.
- Matt Mullenweg announced via Slack he is back in control as Automattic CEO.
- Mullenweg's statement was confirmed by two sources.
- Automattic's board voted to oust Mullenweg as CEO.
- Mullenweg posted a message to Automattic's Slack.
- A spokesperson from Automattic confirmed Mullenweg was on leave and Davies was interim CEO.
- Mullenweg claims Mark Davies conspired with Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker.
- Mullenweg was denied time to review the resolution with independent legal counsel.
✨ This summary was generated by AI from the outlets' reporting listed below. It is not independently verified and may contain errors — check the original sources. How BrevFeed works →
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How outlets covered it
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has appointed a new board of directors following a failed attempt by the previous board to place him on leave. The new board includes authors and co-founders of the defunct social app IRL, marking a significant change in the company's governance after internal conflict.
Automattic named Jeremy Klaperman as interim Chief Financial Officer after former CFO Mark Davies and other executives departed. This change follows an attempted ouster of CEO Matt Mullenweg, which led to board member and executive resignations. The company is still evaluating candidates for permanent CFO and has a verbal acceptance for a new Chief Legal Officer.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg was temporarily replaced by CFO Mark Davies for 33 hours and 20 minutes before being reinstated. The company has not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding his brief leave and return, leading to speculation about internal disagreements.
Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, confirmed that founder Matt Mullenweg has returned to his position as CEO after the board had previously voted to place him on paid leave. This reversal follows a period of internal conflict where Mullenweg reportedly resisted the board's decision and asserted his control over the company.
Matt Mullenweg has reportedly been reinstated as CEO of Automattic, two days after the board of directors placed him on a paid leave of absence and appointed CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. Mullenweg stated he is back in control, and Davies' Slack account has been deactivated, indicating a swift reversal of the board's decision.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg announced he is back "in control" of the company, less than 48 hours after stating the board had placed him on a leave of absence. This development follows reports of internal turmoil and the deactivation of CFO Mark Davies's Slack account, who was previously named interim CEO.
Matt Mullenweg announced via Slack that he is back in control as CEO of Automattic, parent company of WordPress.com, days after the board reportedly voted to remove him. This development follows a period of internal conflict and uncertainty regarding company leadership.
Automattic's board of directors has placed founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence, appointing CFO Mark Davies as interim CEO. This change impacts the leadership of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, but does not affect the open-source WordPress.org project.
Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic (owner of WordPress.com), has been placed on a paid leave of absence, with CFO Mark Davies stepping in as interim CEO. Mullenweg claims the decision was a conspiracy by Davies and board members, while Automattic states the board has full confidence in Davies' leadership.
Automattic founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg was placed on a paid leave of absence by the company's board of directors. CFO Mark Davies has been appointed interim CEO, a decision Mullenweg stated was made without his consent and against his vote. This change in leadership affects Automattic, the parent company of WordPress, Tumblr, and Pocket Casts.