GoKawiilAutomattic board sidelines CEO Matt Mullenweg, installs CFO as interim chief
Automattic's board voted to place founder and CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave, a move he says was orchestrated behind his back by CFO Mark Davies alongside board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker. Davies has been named interim CEO, though Mullenweg reportedly remains on the board. WordPress.org's executive director Mary Hubbard says the open-source project itself is unaffected and Mullenweg still leads it.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
This split highlights the tangled relationship between Automattic, a commercial company, and WordPress.org, the nonprofit open-source project Mullenweg also controls—raising questions about governance and influence over the web's most widely used publishing platform. A boardroom ouster of a founder-CEO signals deeper internal conflict that could affect Automattic's strategy, culture, and investor confidence.
- Automattic's board forced Mullenweg into a paid leave of absence against his wishes.
- CFO Mark Davies has been named interim CEO while Mullenweg reportedly stays on the board.
- WordPress.org says its operations remain unaffected, with Mullenweg still leading the open-source project.
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Published there as: “Automattic’s board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into leave of absence”
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