Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Rebuilds Board Following Governance Crisis
Automattic Chief Executive Officer Matt Mullenweg has overhauled the company board of directors following a brief governance crisis that saw previous board members attempt to place him on an involuntary leave of absence. Mullenweg used his 84% voting control to reverse the move and regain full operational authority within 33 hours and 20 minutes of his ouster.
The restructuring introduces an eclectic group of new directors, including best-selling science-fiction writer Hugh Howey and Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, co-founders of the defunct social application IRL. In an announcement to company staff shared on Slack, Mullenweg stated that he also holds the titles of President, Treasurer, and Secretary for the purposes of Delaware law, characterizing the period as the most significant board realignment in a decade.
Leadership Departures and Executive Changes
The failed removal attempt triggered a major exodus across Automattic's executive and board ranks. Toni Schneider, a founding CEO of Automattic and current CEO of Bluesky, resigned from his board seat alongside director Sue Decker. Mullenweg formally removed retired General Ann Dunwoody from the board.
In addition to boardroom changes, Mullenweg dismissed Chief Financial Officer Mark Davies, who had been slated to assume the role of interim chief executive during the short-lived ouster, and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan. The original board never publicly disclosed its rationale for attempting to place Mullenweg on leave.
New Advisers and Litigation Strategy
Alongside the board additions, Automattic welcomed several high-profile technology figures as advisers, including former Woop Chief Technology Officer Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah. Mullenweg also retained the prominent trial law firm Susman Godfrey LLP as new litigation counsel.
Court documents from a late July filing detailed accusations regarding lost evidence, including uncaptured messaging applications, an unsuccessful telephone imaging attempt following a software update, missing mobile handsets, and an unlocatable laptop. A magistrate judge scheduled a sanctions hearing for late September, while a trial is planned for October 2027.
The appointment of new legal representation arrives amid ongoing litigation between Automattic and hosting provider WP Engine regarding trademark disputes and contributions to the open-source WordPress project. Court filings indicate that WP Engine's legal team previously accused Mullenweg of destroying evidence in July.
Next Operational Milestones and Strategic Outlook
Automattic faces critical operational tests as it navigates both its internal governance stabilization and high-stakes legal battles. Mullenweg emphasized the gravity of the current transition in his statement to employees, declaring that the next six months will determine the trajectory of the company over the coming two decades.
The company has not announced an immediate schedule for formal board meetings under the newly constituted director slate, leaving executive leadership focused on resolving ongoing intellectual property disputes and maintaining continuity across core platforms including WordPress.com, Tumblr, and WooCommerce.