AUTOMATTIC named Jeremy Klaperman as interim Chief Financial Officer following an attempted ouster of CEO Matt Mullenweg that triggered the departure of board members, executives, and the previous finance leader.
Klaperman, who previously served as CFO of Automattic's WordPress VIP Enterprise unit, replaces Mark Davies. Davies held the interim CEO role during Mullenweg's 33-hour absence but departed the company along with Chief Legal Officer Andy Missan. Both signed severance agreements during the leadership vacuum.
Mullenweg announced the move in a Slack post to staff, noting Klaperman's prior experience as CFO when Davies took a sabbatical. The company's board will evaluate internal and external candidates for the permanent position, with a board meeting scheduled for Sept. 23.
Automattic is also filling the Chief Legal Officer role. A candidate has verbally accepted, the company said.
Mullenweg stressed the company's financial position remains solid: "I have 100% confidence in our cash and financial position." He added that operational execution now depends solely on Automattic's internal capability.
Stephen Wolfram, creator of Wolfram|Alpha, remains a special advisor to the company.
