Automattic board members leave after Mullenweg returns as CEO
Automattic’s board has been removed or has departed after a failed effort to put chief executive Matt Mullenweg on paid leave, multiple sources told TechCrunch. Mullenweg, the WordPress founder and CEO of the WordPress.com parent company, returned to control of the business after an absence of 33 hours and 20 minutes, Automattic said.
The company confirmed on Saturday that Mullenweg had returned, following a Slack message in which he told employees he was back in charge. An Automattic spokesperson later said the leadership team respected everyone involved, thanked those leaving for their contributions and said it was looking ahead with Mullenweg at the helm.
Directors linked to the failed leave vote
Sources said Toni Schneider, Automattic’s founding CEO and now a leader at the open social network Bluesky, had resigned his board seat. Schneider subsequently removed language from his personal biography that described him as an Automattic board member and special adviser.
Mullenweg also removed Sue Decker and Gen. Ann Dunwoody from the board, sources said. Decker’s LinkedIn biography states that her board service ran from March 2020 through September 2026, although her name still appeared on Automattic’s board page when the report was published.
The changes follow the episode in which the board’s move to place Mullenweg on leave reported the board’s move to place Mullenweg on leave, a decision that was later reversed when he resumed the CEO role. Automattic did not provide details about individual departures, and sources said an internal announcement on a new board could follow.
Litigation adds pressure to the governance change
What prompted the board vote remains unclear. The upheaval takes place while Automattic and Mullenweg are involved in a high-profile lawsuit with WordPress hosting company WP Engine.
Mullenweg has accused WP Engine of infringing the WordPress trademark and of not contributing enough engineering time or money to the open-source WordPress project. WP Engine has said in a court filing that Automattic planned to seek royalty fees from other competitors. It has also accused Mullenweg of allegedly destroying evidence connected to the case in WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram.
The dispute follows earlier tensions in the WordPress ecosystem. Last year, Mullenweg deactivated the accounts of several WordPress contributors over alleged plans to fork the open-source software.
What customers and partners should watch
For organisations using WordPress.com, WooCommerce or other Automattic services, the immediate practical issue is governance visibility rather than a reported product change. Teams should monitor any formal announcement about the board and keep their supplier, support and open-source engagement assumptions under review as the company clarifies its leadership structure.