Jeremy Klaperman has departed Automattic’s position as interim chief financial officer after serving less than a month, according to reports. His exit follows a turbulent period for the WordPress.com parent company, which recently experienced a complete overhaul of its board of directors.
Klaperman was appointed to the interim finance role last month amid a governance crisis that led to the entire board either resigning or being dismissed. Prior to becoming interim CFO, he held the title of CFO for Automattic’s VIP Enterprise business unit.
The company confirmed his departure through Megan Fox, Automattic’s director of communications, stating, “Automattic will always be grateful for Jeremy Klaperman’s leadership. We wish him best of luck on his next endeavor.”
Klaperman succeeded Mark Davies, who had briefly served as CFO after the board voted in September to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave. However, Mullenweg regained control of the CEO role within 33 hours, resulting in the removal of the entire board. Andy Missan, Automattic’s chief legal officer, also left the company alongside Davies; both had signed reciprocal severance agreements during Mullenweg’s brief absence.
By late September, Automattic announced a new board featuring bestselling science-fiction author Hugh Howey, IRL co-founders Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, and author Amy Chan.
While no official reason was provided for Klaperman’s sudden exit, sources indicated the departure stemmed from his demotion back to his original role at VIP. It remains unclear when a permanent CFO will be appointed. When Mullenweg originally named Klaperman to the interim CFO role, he expressed “100% confidence” in the company’s financial standing.
Does anyone know if this affects WordPress.com reliability? Just curious about the practical impact.
Wow, an interim CFO lasting less than a month? That turnover rate is staggering.
Another quick exit after the board drama? This leadership instability is really worrying for long-term investors.