Automattic Gets New Board Weeks After Failed CEO Ouster

Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg has installed a new board just weeks after the company's previous directors voted to place him on leave — a decision he reversed in exactly 33 hours and 20 minutes, as Automattic previously confirmed to TechCrunch.

The new board, announced to staff Friday via the company's Slack announcements channel, is an unconventional group. It includes best-selling science fiction author Hugh Howey, "Breakup Bootcamp" author Amy Chan, and two co-founders of the now-defunct social app IRL, Henry Khatachryan and Krutal Desai, sources told TechCrunch.

The move is the latest turn in an internal governance fight at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce and others. Earlier this month, the previous board voted to place Mullenweg on paid leave in an attempt to remove him from the board entirely. Mullenweg retook control within 33 hours, describing the episode on X as a "coup attempt," and removed or accepted the resignations of the directors involved.

Mullenweg controlled the outcome through sheer voting power. He controls 84% of the vote, he said at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024.

The boardroom shakeout was sweeping. Toni Schneider, a founding CEO of Automattic and now CEO of Bluesky, resigned from his board position. Mullenweg removed Gen. Ann Dunwoody himself. Board member Sue Decker also resigned. Beyond the board, Mullenweg dismissed CFO Mark Davies, who had been slated to become interim CEO, and Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan, TechCrunch confirmed with sources.

The board never publicly shared its reasons for trying to oust Mullenweg.

Who is on the new board

The four new directors bring backgrounds far removed from typical enterprise-software governance. Hugh Howey is the author of the "Silo" book series. Amy Chan wrote "Breakup Bootcamp" and recently reposted Mullenweg's tweet about the company's AI site builder, Spacefast.

Mullenweg described Khatachryan as "a founder and builder," a longtime collaborator with the late technology writer Om Malik and the website builder for journalist Nick Bilton. Khatachryan and Desai co-founded IRL, a social app that shut down after investigations revealed that nearly all of its user base consisted of bots. The co-founders, who also included CEO Abraham Shafi, later sued SoftBank and other investors after SoftBank had sued for securities fraud.

A set of new advisers has also joined the company, including Curio Studio co-founder Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah.

In the announcement to staff, Mullenweg reportedly wrote that "for purposes of Delaware law, I am the CEO, President, Treasurer, and Secretary," adding that the attempted firing had also brought in "many amazing supporters."

"We had the most interesting board meeting in a decade (since the Woo acquisition)," he said.

Reached for comment, Automattic said it hoped to have a comment for TechCrunch soon.

What Mullenweg told employees

In an internal message shared after the ouster attempt and his return, Mullenweg acknowledged the turmoil. "Last week, several board members formed a special committee and voted to place me on a leave of absence," he wrote. "They did this without advance warning and without giving me a meaningful opportunity to understand or respond to their concerns before they acted. I was denied even a brief extension to consult with independent legal counsel."

He continued: "I took the steps necessary to reverse that action. I am back and fully in charge of the company. I am again working alongside you to make our company a success."

The CEO also disclosed a change in outside counsel. "I also want to share that we have retained Susman Godfrey LLP as our new litigation counsel," he wrote. "Susman Godfrey is one of the top trial firms in the country, and they will be protecting our company's interests and defending us in our ongoing litigation."

He closed with an appeal for calm. "I know this past week has been unsettling. I appreciate your patience and your continued focus on the work that matters," Mullenweg wrote. "I will have more to share soon, but for now, know that Automattic's mission and priorities remain unchanged."

The WP Engine shadow

Mullenweg also replaced Automattic's legal counsel after his return. That move raises questions about whether the boardroom fight connects to the company's ongoing lawsuit with hosting provider WP Engine, which centers on trademark disputes and claims over WP Engine's lack of contribution to the WordPress open source project. Court filings show WP Engine's legal team accused Mullenweg this July of destroying evidence.

With loyalists now in every seat, Mullenweg faces no internal check on his authority. The open question is whether the reconstituted board and the new litigation counsel at Susman Godfrey signal a more aggressive posture in the WP Engine fight — or simply a quieter consolidation of control.