Automattic's board has undergone a significant shakeup following an unsuccessful attempt to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave. Multiple board members, including Toni Schneider, Sue Decker, and Gen. Ann Dunwoody, have reportedly been removed after voting to oust Mullenweg. Mullenweg, who is also the founder of WordPress, has since regained full control of the company.
The internal power struggle at Automattic, a company central to the WordPress ecosystem, raises questions about its future governance and strategic direction, particularly amidst ongoing legal disputes.
Automattic's board has seen a significant shakeup after an attempt to oust CEO Matt Mullenweg failed. Multiple sources confirmed to TechCrunch that board members Toni Schneider, Sue Decker, and Gen. Ann Dunwoody have been removed from their positions. The removals followed a vote by these board members to place Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress and CEO of Automattic, on a paid leave of absence.
Mullenweg, who is also the founder of WordPress.com parent company Automattic, accused the board of conspiring against him in a Slack post. He later informed staff via Slack that he had regained control of the company, a move confirmed by Automattic. Schneider, who was Automattic's founding CEO and now leads Bluesky, had previously noted his board membership and advisory role on his personal website, though this detail has since been removed.
Decker's LinkedIn profile indicated her board service at Automattic spanned from March 2020 to September 2026, though her name still appeared on the company's board page at the time of publication. Automattic confirmed that individuals had departed, stating in an email, "While we can’t comment on specific individuals, we’re thankful for their contributions to Automattic and its mission, and we remain excited about what’s ahead with Matt at the helm. Matt was away for only 33 hours and 20 minutes—we’re now back to work."
The reasons behind the board's initial vote remain unclear. Automattic and Mullenweg are currently involved in a lawsuit with WP Engine, a WordPress hosting company, over alleged trademark infringement and insufficient contributions to the open-source WordPress effort. WP Engine has also accused Mullenweg of destroying evidence in the case.