Matt Mullenweg leave at Automattic puts CFO Mark Davies in interim CEO role
Automattic has confirmed Matt Mullenweg is on leave, with CFO Mark Davies taking over as interim chief executive.
By Maya Lindqvist · Senior Technology Correspondent
3 min read
Matt Mullenweg is on leave from Automattic, and the company’s chief financial officer, Mark Davies, has become interim CEO. The Matt Mullenweg leave at Automattic shifts day-to-day leadership at the company that owns WordPress.com, while leaving key details about the leave undisclosed.
An Automattic spokesperson, Megan Fox, confirmed the change in an email to The Verge on September 9. Fox said the board had confidence in Davies and in the company’s ability to carry out its priorities under his leadership, according to The Verge.
Who is leading Automattic while Matt Mullenweg is on leave?
Davies, Automattic’s CFO, will lead the company as interim CEO, Automattic said through its spokesperson. Interim CEO means Davies is running the company during Mullenweg’s absence; the company did not state how long that absence would last or why the board sought it.
Reporting by 404 Media, based on messages in a company-wide Slack channel, said the board asked Mullenweg to step away from his chief executive role. Board member Toni Schneider wrote that Davies had been asked to take the interim position, according to the outlet.
Mullenweg told employees in an internal message that the leave was paid, 404 Media reported. He alleged that Davies and board members Ann Dunwoody, Schneider and Sue Decker had worked against him to secure the vote, and said he opposed the action. Those are Mullenweg’s assertions; Automattic’s public statement to The Verge confirmed the leave and Davies’s interim appointment but did not address his account of the decision-making process.
Internal messages reported by 404 Media also said Mullenweg would stay on Automattic’s board and retain a role in setting direction and decisions. The company has not publicly detailed any changes to his board position.
What has Automattic said about the leadership change?
Automattic has said only that Mullenweg is currently on leave and that Davies will lead as interim CEO. Schneider’s internal message, as reported by 404 Media, said the board was confident Davies would lead the company while Mullenweg was away.
The leadership change follows a period of restructuring at Automattic. In an April 2025 announcement, the company said it would reduce its workforce by about 16%, citing its competitive market and a stated need to improve productivity, profitability and its capacity to invest. Automattic said at the time that Mullenweg had delivered the message to employees as CEO.
Mullenweg has led Automattic since 2014 and co-founded WordPress.org, The Verge reported. Neither Automattic’s confirmation nor the internal messages reported by 404 Media gave a timeline for his return or indicated whether the leave would lead to a permanent change in leadership.
This story draws on original reporting from The Verge.