Automattic's board reportedly ousted after failed attempt to remove CEO Mullenweg
Multiple sources say Automattic's entire board has departed after last week's failed attempt to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave, with Mullenweg now back in control.
Automattic's board has departed the company, multiple sources have told TechCrunch, following a failed attempt last week to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence.
After the board's vote to sideline him, Mullenweg — the WordPress founder and CEO of WordPress.com parent company Automattic — accused the board of conspiring against him in a post on the company's Slack. By Friday, he told staff via Slack that he was back in control, and Automattic confirmed his return to TechCrunch on Saturday.
Board members step away
Sources initially indicated that Toni Schneider, Automattic's founding CEO and now head of the open social network Bluesky, had resigned his board seat. Schneider has since removed a paragraph referencing his Automattic role from his personal website's bio page. Reports further indicate Mullenweg removed the two remaining board members, Sue Decker and Gen. Ann Dunwoody. Decker's LinkedIn profile has already been updated to show she served on the board from March 2020 to September 2026, though her name still appeared on Automattic's board page at the time of reporting.
When asked about the changes, Automattic declined to discuss specific individuals but issued a statement thanking departed members for their contributions and expressing confidence in the path ahead with Mullenweg leading the company. A spokesperson noted that Mullenweg had been away from his role for only 33 hours and 20 minutes.
An internal announcement about the new board composition may come as soon as Monday, according to sources. The board members who left were reportedly the same ones who had voted for Mullenweg's leave, which would explain how his reinstatement came with the board's full support, as stated Saturday.
What originally triggered the board's vote remains unclear. Automattic is currently engaged in a high-profile legal dispute with WordPress hosting provider WP Engine, with Mullenweg accusing the company of trademark infringement and insufficient contribution to the open source WordPress project. Last year, Mullenweg had deactivated accounts of several WordPress contributors amid concerns about a potential fork of the software.
