Just weeks after surviving an internal attempt by previous directors to oust him, Matt Mullenweg, CEO of Automattic, reorganized the company’s board, solidifying his leadership position. This overhaul not only introduces a more diverse slate of board members but also follows a high-profile governance battle at the firm, which operates WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce, earlier in September.
Failed Coup Spurs Major Leadership Changes
The leadership transition follows a controversial episode where Automattic’s previous board decided to put Mullenweg on temporary leave without prior notification or allowing him independent legal advice—an action he later labeled as a “coup attempt.” Details provided to employees indicate that the disruption continued for exactly “33 hours and 20 minutes” before Mullenweg, armed with his 84% voting control (a percentage he referenced at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024), regained his post. The directors responsible for the attempted removal were subsequently dismissed or departed from the board.
Those who exited included Toni Schneider (the founding CEO, now with Bluesky), General Ann Dunwoody, and Sue Decker. Mark Davies, who was named interim CEO by the ousting board, and chief legal officer Andy Missan also left Automattic. Once reinstated, Mullenweg secured new legal counsel by hiring Susman Godfrey LLP, which will represent the company in pending litigation.
Incoming Board Members Span Literature, Tech, and Entrepreneurship
The company’s refreshed board, as announced to employees on Friday, features individuals with varied expertise:
- Hugh Howey, famous for his “Silo” science fiction books, previously walked Spain’s Camino de Santiago with Mullenweg (photo from 2018).
- Amy Chan, the author of “Breakup Bootcamp,” has recently offered positive feedback on Automattic’s AI-driven Spacefast tool.
- Henry Khachatryan, co-founder of the now-closed social app IRL, previously worked with the late Om Malik and built sites for journalists like Nick Bilton.
- Krutal Desai, another IRL co-founder.
Worth noting: IRL’s shutdown was due to the revelation that most of its user accounts were bots, and, afterward, Khachatryan and Desai joined in legal action against SoftBank and other investors, which came about in the wake of a fraud case launched by SoftBank.
Three new advisers—Curio Studio’s Jaime Waydo, June’s Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics’ Hiten Shah—will also offer strategic guidance to the board.
Strategic, Legal, and Organizational Aftershocks
In a staff update, Mullenweg made clear he currently occupies all top executive offices for legal purposes: CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary. He described Automattic’s recent board meeting as “the most interesting in a decade,” drawing a comparison to the period surrounding the WooCommerce acquisition.
Though the reasoning behind the attempted board removal was never explained publicly, and the outgoing board remained silent, speculation has intensified following Mullenweg’s decision to change the firm’s legal representation. Some observers link the change to Automattic’s ongoing case with WP Engine regarding trademarks and open source contributions. New court documents filed this July detail claims by WP Engine’s lawyers that Mullenweg was involved in destroying evidence.
After returning to his post, Mullenweg addressed staff in an internal note where he acknowledged the organizational disruption but reaffirmed his dedication: “I am back and fully in charge of the company. I am again working alongside you to make our company a success.” He also expressed gratitude for what he called “many amazing supporters,” emphasizing his continued vision for Automattic’s future direction and priorities.