Senior ranks at WordPress owner Automattic keep changing
Following the power struggle around founder Matt Mullenweg, finance chief Mark Davies also departs.
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The management crisis at Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, continues. Finance chief Mark Davies has left, while Jeremy Klaperman is temporarily taking over financial leadership. According to TechCrunch, other executives and a legal director have also left the company.
The latest personnel change follows a brief power struggle around founder and chief executive Matt Mullenweg. The board placed Mullenweg on paid leave in September, after which Davies temporarily took charge. Mullenweg returned shortly afterwards as chair of the board and chief executive of Automattic.
According to TechCrunch, Davies has now left and Jeremy Klaperman has been appointed interim finance director. Klaperman led the commercial WordPress VIP division and had previously also temporarily filled the financial role. A permanent successor is still being sought.
The composition of the board has also changed. Board members who agreed to Mullenweg's leave are said to have departed. TechCrunch also reports that legal director Andy Missan no longer works for the company. New board members had not yet been announced at the time of publication.
The reason for the management crisis has not been publicly clarified. The developments are taking place against the backdrop of the protracted conflict between Automattic and WP Engine, another major WordPress hosting provider. Mullenweg accused WP Engine of contributing too little to the open-source ecosystem; WP Engine disputes that portrayal and is pursuing legal action against Automattic and Mullenweg.
WordPress.com and WordPress are not the same. WordPress is open-source software; WordPress.com is a commercial hosting platform operated by Automattic. Mullenweg is involved in both worlds, meaning Automattic's decisions can affect customers, developers and companies that use the software, without the company owning all WordPress activities.
According to the available reports, nothing will change immediately for customers in the operation of WordPress.com or WooCommerce. However, the rapid changes at the top could create uncertainty about strategy, legal proceedings and the relationship between the commercial company and the open-source community. Automattic has expressed confidence in its financial position, but has not published a complete overview of the board members and executives who have left.
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The personnel changes are based on reporting by TechCrunch and Tweakers. Speculation about the cause of the crisis has been avoided, and the difference between WordPress and WordPress.com has been explained factually.
- confirmed Mark Davies has left his position as finance director of Automattic. — Reported by TechCrunch following the earlier management crisis. source
- confirmed Jeremy Klaperman is temporarily taking over financial leadership. — TechCrunch reports his appointment as interim CFO. source
- confirmed Matt Mullenweg returned as CEO of Automattic. — Confirmed by Automattic and reported by Tweakers. source
- confirmed WordPress is open-source software and WordPress.com is a commercial hosting platform. — Explained in Tweakers' background information. source
Editor's note
Davies's departure, Klaperman's interim appointment and the departure of several board members have been reported. The cause of the management crisis and its full consequences for customers are not public.Sources
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