Automattic’s full board of directors has departed following a failed attempt last week to remove CEO Matt Mullenweg, multiple sources have confirmed to TechCrunch. The shakeup, which took place in September 2026, came after board members voted to place Mullenweg on a paid leave of absence — a move he quickly reversed.
Mullenweg, the WordPress founder and CEO of Automattic — the parent company of WordPress.com — accused the board of conspiring against him in a post on the company’s Slack. Within roughly 33 hours of being placed on leave, he announced via Slack that he had retaken control of the company. Automattic confirmed his return on Saturday.
Three board members are now gone. Toni Schneider, Automattic’s founding CEO and current head of social network Bluesky, resigned his board seat and has since removed references to his Automattic role from his personal website. Sue Decker also resigned, with her LinkedIn bio updated to reflect her board tenure ran from March 2020 through September 2026. Gen. Ann Dunwoody was removed by Mullenweg directly.
Beyond the board, Automattic’s Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan and CFO Mark Davies — who had been designated interim CEO during Mullenweg’s brief absence — also departed. Sources indicate Mullenweg let both go.
In a statement issued after midnight on Sunday, an Automattic spokesperson said the company is “thankful for their contributions” but declined to comment on specific individuals, adding that Mullenweg “was away for only 33 hours and 20 minutes.”
What prompted the board’s original vote remains unclear. Automattic is currently involved in a high-profile lawsuit with WordPress hosting company WP Engine over alleged trademark infringement and open-source contribution disputes. WP Engine has also accused Mullenweg of allegedly destroying evidence related to the case.
Sources told TechCrunch that Automattic may announce changes to its board internally as early as Monday.
Source: TechCrunch