Automattic's Interim CFO Exits After Weeks Amid Board Turmoil
Jeremy Klaperman has left Automattic as interim chief financial officer after less than a month in the job. Automattic confirmed the departure in a statement shared by director of communications Megan Fox, according to TechCrunch.
Klaperman was moved into the interim role, the temporary stand-in, in September 2026 after a fight over control of the company. He replaced former CFO Mark Davies. Before that, Klaperman was CFO of Automattic's VIP Enterprise unit, the division focused on large business customers. TechCrunch first reported the appointment on September 18, 2026.
The appointment followed a fast series of leadership changes. In September 2026, Automattic's board voted to put CEO Matt Mullenweg on leave. Davies briefly became CFO during that window. Mullenweg returned as CEO within 33 hours of the board's decision. Chief legal officer Andy Missan left alongside Davies. Davies and Missan had signed reciprocal severance deals, agreements to pay out if the other left, during Mullenweg's brief removal.
In late September 2026, Automattic named a new board of directors including Hugh Howey, Henry Khachatryan, Krutal Desai and Amy Chan. Sources told TechCrunch that Klaperman left after being moved back to his old job at VIP. No permanent CFO had been named as of October 9, 2026.
The broader context here is continuity in financial leadership. A CFO, temporary or permanent, is responsible for financial controls, budget planning, and keeping lenders and suppliers confident in the company. Turnover at the top of finance adds to the uncertainty from a board fight. It leaves deputies to keep routine work going while it is unclear who has final authority.
In my view, the process matters more than the names involved. An interim leader promoted from inside a business unit knows the operations but has limited authority to make big changes. Moving that person back to a prior job signals a reset, not a planned handover. For finance staff, that pattern is disruptive. Priorities set in September may need to be redone. Hiring a permanent CFO gets harder until reporting lines and board oversight are settled.
Looking at what this means for Automattic, the next job is clear. Name a permanent finance chief with clear authority. Steady the monthly close, the forecast and the audit schedule. Give large customers and partners one person to call on money questions. We have seen this pattern before when tech companies go through governance shocks, and the ones that recover well treat finance as basic infrastructure. That work is unglamorous. It is also what lets product and engineering teams move fast again.
In my own family, I have watched my children adopt new tools without asking who approved the budget behind them. Users rarely notice who runs finance. They notice when systems work. That is the quiet test here.
