Automattic’s Interim CFO Departs After Less Than a Month on the Job
Jeremy Klaperman left Automattic after being demoted from interim CFO back to CFO of its VIP Enterprise unit, sources say. He held the interim role for less than a month amid executive departures following the September 2026 governance crisis.
Automattic’s interim chief financial officer Jeremy Klaperman has left the company after less than a month in the role, TechCrunch has learned. His departure adds to a string of executive exits at the WordPress.com parent company following a recent governance crisis.
Klaperman had been elevated to interim CFO last month after Automattic’s entire board either quit or was fired. Before taking the interim role, he had served as CFO of Automattic’s VIP Enterprise business unit. Sources told TechCrunch that his decision to leave came after he was demoted back to that original position. No permanent CFO appointment has been announced.
Automattic confirmed the departure in a statement from director of communications Megan Fox: “Automattic will always be grateful for Jeremy Klaperman’s leadership. We wish him the best of luck on his next endeavor.” The company did not comment on the reason for his exit.
Klaperman had stepped into the interim CFO role following the removal of Mark Davies, who had briefly served as CFO after the board voted to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave in September 2026. Mullenweg retook the CEO role within 33 hours of that decision, and the board was subsequently wiped clean. Chief legal officer Andy Missan also departed alongside Davies; both had signed reciprocal severance deals during Mullenweg’s brief leave, TechCrunch previously reported.
Automattic’s newly constituted board was announced in late September and includes science-fiction author Hugh Howey, IRL co-founders Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, and author Amy Chan. When Mullenweg announced Klaperman’s interim CFO appointment on Automattic’s Slack, he stated he had “100% confidence” in the company’s cash and financial position.
The latest departure suggests Automattic’s leadership instability may not yet be fully resolved, with a permanent CFO search still apparently underway.