Mullenweg Reinstated as Automattic CEO After Brief Ousting

Image credit: Search Engine Journal

Matt Mullenweg was reinstated as CEO of Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, on September 12, following a brief period of paid leave and an internal power struggle over company communication channels.

Automattic’s Board of Directors placed Mullenweg on paid leave on September 9, appointing Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies as interim CEO, according to reports. The initial announcement did not provide specific reasons for the leadership change.

The situation escalated when Mullenweg reportedly regained control of Automattic’s internal Slack workspace, removing existing administrators and asserting his return to leadership before any official public statement from the company, sources familiar with the matter reported.

On September 12, Automattic issued a second, official statement confirming Mullenweg’s return as both chairman and CEO. The company stated that Mullenweg had the board’s full support.

The tone and style of this second official statement reportedly differed significantly from the initial announcement regarding his leave, leading to speculation among industry observers and employees that Mullenweg himself may have authored or dictated the content of the confirming statement.

Numerous Automattic employees publicly expressed their support for Mullenweg’s return. Mary Hubbard, Executive Director of WordPress, also publicly backed Mullenweg, according to statements posted on social media platforms.

Automattic, known for its contributions to the open-source WordPress project and its commercial services like WordPress.com and WooCommerce, faced intense scrutiny during the leadership uncertainty. The company did not immediately respond to requests for further comment on the specifics of the board’s decision or the events surrounding the Slack workspace.

Mullenweg co-founded WordPress in 2003 and founded Automattic in 2005. His return solidifies his long-standing leadership at the company and within the broader WordPress ecosystem.

Source: Search Engine Journal