Automattic's board forces CEO Matt Mullenweg into leave of absence

Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, announced on Wednesday that its CEO Matt Mullenweg will be placed on a leave of absence at the request of its board. According to a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, it was CFO Mark Davies who conspired with board members Ann Dunwoody, Toni Schneider, and Sue Decker to enact this decision.

Mullenweg, however, voted against it. He had previously informed the open source WordPress.org community about his change in status through a separate Slack message. Despite the board's move, Mullenweg remains on the board of directors. Automattic's CFO, Mark Davies, will take over as interim CEO. The company remains confident in the leadership of its team and its ability to follow through on its priorities. The decision's rationale remains undisclosed.