Mullenweg Rebuilds Automattic Board After Ouster Attempt
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg replaced the board after it voted to put him on leave, using his 84% voting control to install new directors.
Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has rebuilt the company's board after previous directors attempted to place him on leave, according to TechCrunch. The former board voted to put Mullenweg on leave, but he retook control 33 hours and 20 minutes later.
Mullenweg controls 84% of Automattic's voting shares, which he used to replace the board. The new board includes author Hugh Howey, author Amy Chan, and IRL co-founders Henry Khatachryan and Krutal Desai.
IRL shut down after investigations found most of its user base consisted of bots. Toni Schneider resigned from the board, Ann Dunwoody was removed, and Sue Decker resigned.
Mullenweg also let go of CFO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan. Automattic retained Susman Godfrey LLP as new litigation counsel.
Automattic is involved in an ongoing lawsuit with hosting provider WP Engine over trademark disputes.
Quick answers
Who is on Automattic's new board?
The new board includes author Hugh Howey, author Amy Chan, and IRL co-founders Henry Khatachryan and Krutal Desai.
Why did Matt Mullenweg replace the board?
The previous board voted to put him on leave, but he used his 84% voting control to replace the board and retake control.
What happened to other executives?
CFO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan were let go, and Automattic retained Susman Godfrey LLP as new litigation counsel.