Automattic’s interim chief financial officer, Jeremy Klaperman, has left the company after less than a month in the role, according to TechCrunch. The company confirmed his departure with a statement thanking him for his leadership and wishing him well, but did not give a reason. Sources told TechCrunch that Klaperman decided to leave after being demoted back to his previous job as CFO of the VIP Enterprise business unit.
Klaperman was elevated to interim CFO last month during a governance crisis at the WordPress.com parent. He had replaced Mark Davies, who briefly became CFO after the board voted to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave in September. Mullenweg retook the CEO role within 33 hours, and the board was wiped clean. Davies and chief legal officer Andy Missan also left, with both having signed reciprocal severance deals.
Automattic’s new board, announced in late September, includes author Hugh Howey, two IRL co-founders, and author Amy Chan. No permanent CFO has been announced, and it remains unclear whether Klaperman’s exit signals further instability or simply a return to the prior structure.