Automattic Board Forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into Leave of Absence

Automattic’s board has placed founder and chief executive Matt Mullenweg on a leave of absence, a move that the company’s leadership said was against his will. The decision was revealed through a Slack message that TechCrunch accessed, in which Mullenweg posted in a channel visible to all employees that the company’s Chief Financial … The board’s action, taken without Mullenweg’s consent, signals a decisive shift in the company’s governance structure. While the exact duration of the leave remains unspecified, the move means Mullenweg will step back from day‑to‑day operations and decision‑making during this period. The board’s intervention underscores the authority it holds over executive conduct and sets the stage for potential interim leadership arrangements as the company navigates this transition.