Reddit CEO Ellen Pao Resigns

Ellen Pao, the embattled Reddit CEO whose firing of skill director Victoria Taylor ultimate week sparked a user rebellion, is leaving the corporate. The new york times experiences that Pao is stepping down “via mutual agreement,” and that Reddit cofounder Steve Huffman will assume her function in the interim. Pao will stay at Reddit as an marketing consultant during the end of the year.

Reddit board member Sam Altman has posted a formal announcement on the platform, wherein he lauds Pao’s work at the firm and beyond:

Ellen Pao resigned from reddit these days by means of mutual agreement. i am delighted to announce that Steve Huffman, founder and the original reddit CEO, is returning as CEO.

we’re grateful for Ellen’s many contributions to reddit and the technology business most often. She introduced focus to chaos, recruited a global-type staff of executives, and drove boom. She brought a face to reddit that modified perceptions, and is a pioneer for women within the tech business. she is going to remain as an consultant to the board in the course of the finish of 2015. I look forward to seeing the great things she does past that.

We’re more than pleased to have Steve again. Product and neighborhood are the two legs of reddit, and the board used to be very fascinated by discovering a candidate who excels at each (truthfully, neighborhood is more difficult), which Steve does. He has the brought bonus of being a founder with ten years of reddit historical past in his head. Steve is rejoining Alexis, who will work alongside Steve with the brand new title of “cofounder”.

in line with Re/code‘s Kara Swisher, Pao’s resolution to step down was partly as a result of diverging interests when it came to the growth of the corporate. “[The board] had a extra aggressive view than I did,” Pao instructed Swisher. Altman guaranteed Swisher that Pao was once not fired, although the occasions of the prior week gave the impression to indicate things had been headed in that path.

Reddit customers had been vocal about their disdain for Pao, spouting racist and sexist comments even prior to Taylor’s firing. a change.org petition calling for her dismissal racked up greater than 200,000 signatures.

Altman is conducting an AMA in the meanwhile, addressing person questions in regards to the upheaval in administration and different concerns at Reddit.

learn Altman’s observation in full over at Reddit.

replace: Pao has posted a be aware on Reddit, by which she reiterates the alleged explanation for her resignation:

So why am I leaving? in a roundabout way, the board requested me to demonstrate greater person growth within the next six months than I believe i can deliver whereas maintaining reddit’s core principles.

Head over to Reddit to read all the submit.