Following a tumultuous week, Matt Mullenweg has been reinstated as chief executive officer of Automattic, just two days after his removal from the role. The development follows a Slack communication viewed by TechCrunch in which Mullenweg announced his return to the position.
The controversy began on Wednesday when the company’s board of directors voted to place Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence. In internal messages to staff, as reported by 404 Media, Mullenweg alleged that CFO Mark Davies had conspired with the board to orchestrate the move, a motion Mullenweg claimed he opposed.
Upon Mullenweg’s departure, the board appointed Davies as interim CEO. Davies subsequently communicated to employees, according to 404 Media, that Mullenweg would remain a member of the board despite the leadership shakeup. An Automattic spokesperson provided limited comment to The Verge regarding the situation, stating only that Mullenweg was currently…
Good thing they resolved it quickly, but this public squabble must be exhausting for Automattic employees watching from the sidelines.
I’m skeptical about the final resolution. When CFOs and boards clash like this, the culture usually takes a hit regardless of titles.
Mark Davies stepping in as interim only to hand it back feels like a lot of drama for everyone involved. Hope things stabilize now.
Two days is incredibly brief for a CEO removal and reinstatement. Something bigger must have happened behind the scenes.
Wild week for WordPress enthusiasts. I just want to know what triggered this sudden board vote against the founder.