Automattic Inc. announced a new board of directors on Friday, weeks after a short-lived effort by some directors to place CEO Matt Mullenweg on administrative leave. The company confirmed the changes to staff via an internal Slack channel.

The reconstituted board includes author Hugh Howey, known for the "Silo" series, and Amy Chan, creator of the "Breakup Bootcamp" blog. Both had previously engaged with Mullenweg on social media regarding Automattic’s AI initiatives. Also joining are Henry Khachatryan and Krutal Desai, co-founders of the defunct social app IRL, along with former Woop CTO Jaime Waydo, June co-founder Matt Van Horn, and KISSmetrics co-founder Hiten Shah.

The move follows a board vote earlier this month that sought to remove Mullenweg from his position. The directors involved resigned within 33 hours of the decision, after which Mullenweg reasserted control. The company stated the new board was formed to provide stability during a period of organizational transition.

Mullenweg indicated the board reshuffle was influenced by his majority voting stake, which he holds under Delaware corporate law. He also noted the brief separation had prompted the company to retain Susman Godfrey LLP as litigation counsel, citing ongoing legal matters including a trademark dispute with WP Engine.

In an internal message to employees, Mullenweg described the episode as “unsettling” but emphasized continuity of Automattic’s core mission. He stated the company would focus on product development and legal strategy moving forward.

The board composition reflects a mix of technical expertise and creative industry connections. The company has not publicly detailed the specific reasons for the earlier board action.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the tenure of Jaime Waydo’s role at Woop. The update clarifies he served as former CTO.

Sarah Perez, a TechCrunch reporter covering internet and technology policy, has reported on this development. She has been with the publication since 2011, following prior work in software development across multiple sectors.

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