Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg Replaces Board Following Brief Suspension

Industry Pulse News Desk · 2026-09-28

Matt Mullenweg reclaimed control of Automattic and ousted the company's board of directors 33 hours after being placed on leave.

Automattic Chief Executive Officer Matt Mullenweg has dissolved and replaced the company's board of directors, consolidating control just 33 hours after the previous board placed him on administrative leave.

The rapid corporate restructuring reverses an abrupt move by the former board to temporarily remove Mullenweg from his executive duties. Utilizing his governance rights within the parent company of WordPress.com, Mullenweg exercised corporate authority to remove the sitting directors and appoint a replacement board.

Among the newly appointed board members are two executives previously associated with a high-profile technology application that reached a $1 billion valuation prior to shutting down operations. Automattic did not publicly detail the specific governance duties assigned to the incoming directors.

Mullenweg, who co-founded the open-source WordPress platform, maintains significant voting influence over Automattic's executive decisions and long-term corporate direction. The swift resolution of the leadership dispute re-establishes his full authority over the organization's commercial operations.

Automattic has not released further details regarding the disagreements that prompted the board's short-lived decision to place the chief executive on leave. Enterprise services and software operations across the company's division portfolio are expected to continue without disruption.