Automattic has a new board after failed attempt to put CEO on leave

Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has announced a new board after a weeks-long governance confrontation that began when the company’s prior directors voted to put him on leave. The new slate of directors, revealed to staff via Automattic’s internal Slack channel, mixes figures from technology and writing, including science fiction author Hugh Howey and writer Amy Chan, plus two co-founders of the social app IRL: Henry Khatachryan and Krutal Desai. A number of advisers were also added, among them Curio Studio co-founder Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and Hiten Shah, co-founder of KISSmetrics.

The board change follows an abrupt reversal in which Mullenweg regained control after the earlier board action. Automattic has said the period between his removal and return lasted 33 hours and 20 minutes. Mullenweg has previously said he holds 84% of the company’s voting shares and used that control to replace or accept resignations of directors involved in the vote. Several senior executives were also dismissed or left amid the dispute, including CFO Mark Davies and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan.

Among those who departed the prior board were founding CEO Toni Schneider, who resigned, and Sue Decker, who also resigned; Mullenweg removed Gen. Ann Dunwoody from the board. The prior board never publicly explained the rationale for attempting to place Mullenweg on leave. In internal messages shared after the events, Mullenweg said the board acted without giving him meaningful notice or time to consult counsel and that he had taken steps to reverse their action.

The leadership shuffle comes while Automattic is engaged in litigation involving hosting provider WP Engine, including trademark disputes and allegations tied to contributions to the WordPress open-source project. After retaking control, Mullenweg said Automattic retained Susman Godfrey LLP as new litigation counsel. The involvement of new legal counsel and a newly constituted board has drawn attention because of those ongoing legal matters and because of the dramatic public standoff within the company.