Automattic's interim CFO departs weeks after boardroom upheaval

Jeremy Klaperman, the interim chief financial officer of Automattic, the company behind the WordPress.com website platform, has left his post after less than a month, TechCrunch reported on October 9. His departure comes weeks after a September governance crisis in which Automattic's entire board either resigned or was fired.

The company confirmed the exit in a statement shared by its director of communications, Megan Fox. It said Automattic would always be grateful for Klaperman's leadership and wished him the best on his next endeavor.

How it unfolded

Before becoming interim finance chief, Klaperman was CFO of Automattic's VIP Enterprise business unit. He replaced Mark Davies, who had briefly become CFO after board members voted in September to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave. Within 33 hours, Mullenweg returned as CEO and the board was cleared out. Chief legal officer Andy Missan left alongside Davies. Both executives had signed reciprocal severance deals during Mullenweg's brief leave, as TechCrunch previously reported.

The new board was announced in late September. It includes science-fiction author Hugh Howey, Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai (co-founders of the now-defunct social app IRL), and author Amy Chan.

Reason unclear

It is not known why Klaperman left, and a company spokesperson declined to comment on the reason. Sources told TechCrunch that the decision followed his demotion back to his original role at VIP. As an interim appointee, he could have been replaced by a permanent hire, but none has been announced.

When Mullenweg announced Klaperman's appointment on Automattic's Slack, he repeated that he had "100% confidence" in the company's cash and financial position.