Automattic has appointed Jeremy Klaperman as the new interim Chief Financial Officer. Klaperman previously held the CFO position for the company’s WordPress VIP Enterprise division. This announcement, made internally on Friday, follows a turbulent week where attempts were made to remove CEO Matt Mullenweg from his role. The efforts resulted in the resignation of several board members who supported the ousting, as well as other executives, including former CFO Mark Davies. Davies temporarily served as interim CEO before Mullenweg resumed his position.
In a communication via Slack, Mullenweg mentioned that Klaperman had temporarily assumed the CFO responsibilities during Davies’ sabbatical. He also indicated that the newly restructured board—whose members are yet to be revealed—will consider candidates both internally and externally before making a permanent appointment.
Furthermore, Mullenweg disclosed that a candidate for the Chief Legal Officer role has verbally accepted the position, succeeding Andy Missan, who has also departed from the company along with Davies. Reports suggest that both Davies and Missan finalized severance agreements during Mullenweg’s brief 33-hour leave from his CEO duties prior to his return.
Mullenweg expressed strong confidence in Automattic’s financial stability, stating, “I have full faith in our cash and financial position.” He added that while there are challenges ahead, the path forward is manageable and relies solely on Automattic’s execution abilities.
In follow-up updates, Mullenweg advised stakeholders to anticipate announcements regarding the board and confirmed that special advisor Stephen Wolfram, known for creating Wolfram|Alpha, will maintain his role. The next board meeting is set for September 23.
