Jeremy Klaperman, who had recently taken on the role of interim chief financial officer at Automattic, has stepped down after only a few weeks, according to reports from TechCrunch. His appointment came during a governance crisis that led to significant changes in the company’s leadership structure.
Automattic released a statement via Megan Fox, the company’s communications director, expressing gratitude for Klaperman’s leadership: “Automattic will always be thankful for Jeremy Klaperman’s guidance. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”
Prior to his brief tenure as interim CFO, Klaperman was the chief financial officer of Automattic’s VIP Enterprise division.
He took over from Mark Davies, the previous CFO, who had assumed the role temporarily after the board voted to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave in September. Just over a day later, Mullenweg was reinstated as CEO, resulting in the complete overhaul of the board.
Additionally, the company’s chief legal officer, Andy Missan, also departed alongside Davies. Both had reportedly entered into mutual severance agreements during Mullenweg’s brief absence. In late September, a new board of directors was announced, featuring notable members such as best-selling science-fiction writer Hugh Howey and two co-founders of the now-defunct IRL social app, Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, as well as author Amy Chan.
The reasons behind Klaperman’s departure remain ambiguous; sources indicated it followed a demotion back to his prior position within the VIP unit. Although Klaperman could have been replaced by a permanent CFO, no announcements regarding his successor have been made. A spokesperson for Automattic declined to comment on the circumstances of his resignation.
When Klaperman’s appointment as interim CFO was announced via Automattic’s Slack, Mullenweg expressed his “100% confidence” in the company’s financial stability and cash position.
