Matt Mullenweg has assembled a new board at Automattic just weeks after the company’s previous directors tried and failed to remove him. The lineup, shared with staff on Friday, mixes a bestselling novelist with two co-founders of a shuttered social app, and Mullenweg has confirmed the additions.
The reshuffle is the latest chapter in a governance dispute at Automattic, the parent company of WordPress.com, Tumblr and WooCommerce. Earlier this month, the prior board voted to place Mullenweg on leave in a bid to push him out, only for him to retake control roughly a day and a half later and part ways with the directors involved.
The new board includes author Hugh Howey, known for the “Silo” series, along with “Breakup Bootcamp” writer Amy Chan. It also adds Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, who co-founded the social app IRL before it shut down after reports found bots made up nearly all of its users. New advisers joining the company include former Whoop chief technology officer Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah.
In his message to staff, Mullenweg said that for Delaware law purposes, he holds the titles of chief executive, president, treasurer and secretary. He described the recent board meeting as the most eventful in a decade and pointed to what he called an outpouring of support during the standoff.
Mullenweg regained control of the company using his voting power, which he has said covers 84 percent of shares. Board member Toni Schneider, an Automattic founding chief executive who now leads Bluesky, resigned during the fallout. Mullenweg removed General Ann Dunwoody from the board, and member Sue Decker also stepped down. He additionally parted ways with chief financial officer Mark Davies and chief legal officer Andy Missan.
The board has not explained publicly why it sought to remove him. Mullenweg also replaced Automattic’s outside counsel after returning, retaining Susman Godfrey for litigation, a change that comes amid the company’s ongoing trademark dispute with hosting provider WP Engine.
Mullenweg described the period ahead in stark terms, calling the next six months decisive for the company’s next two decades.
