Automattic board members leave after failed move to oust Matt Mullenweg

Multiple sources told TechCrunch that Automattic’s board is out after members voted last week to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on paid leave. Automattic confirmed that Mullenweg had returned to the company on Saturday.

Mullenweg, the founder of WordPress and CEO of WordPress.com parent Automattic, said in an Automattic Slack post that he was back in control. The company’s spokesperson later said he had been away for only 33 hours and 20 minutes.

Sources initially said Toni Schneider, Automattic’s founding CEO and a current leader of Bluesky, had resigned from the board. TechCrunch has also heard that Mullenweg removed the two other board members, Sue Decker and Gen. Ann Dunwoody. Decker’s LinkedIn biography says she served on Automattic’s board from March 2020 through September 2026, although her name still appeared on the company’s board page when TechCrunch published its report.

Automattic declined to identify specific departures but said it was thankful for their contributions and remained excited about the company’s future with Mullenweg leading it. Sources said Automattic might announce a new board internally on Monday. The reason for the board vote remains unclear.

The changes come as Automattic and Mullenweg face a high-profile lawsuit with WordPress hosting company WP Engine. The parties have made competing claims involving WordPress trademarks, contributions and evidence related to the case.