Discord founder steps down as CEO: the company will be led by ex-Activision Blizzard top manager

Discord is undergoing significant changes: the platform's co-founder Jason Citron has announced his departure from the position of CEO. His place will be taken by Humam Sahnini, a former head of Activision Blizzard. However, Citron is not leaving the company completely, remaining a member of the board of directors and an advisor to the new CEO.

Here's What We Know

Citron's resignation comes a little over a month after reports that Discord is preparing to go public. And it seems that this is the main reason for the change in leadership: Citron said that Sahnini was hired to "lead Discord through its next phase of growth and eventually become a public company".

"As we enter our next phase, I've been reflecting on how I can best contribute to the long-term success of Discord," Citron wrote in a message to employees, which was also published on the company's blog.

Citron emphasised that the company's future does not depend on him alone, but on a strong leadership team, a clear vision for the future, and the talent, dedication, and hard work of all employees. He also noted that today's Discord is the best version of the company in its history, with a clear strategy, new directions, love and passion of users, and an incredible team.

Humam Sahnini, judging by his track record, is well versed in financial matters and managing large companies. His LinkedIn page states that he worked for eight years at the consulting firm McKinsey and Co. before joining Activision Blizzard in 2009 as Chief Strategy Officer and Chief Human Resources Officer. In 2016, following the acquisition of Activision by King, he became Chief Financial Officer and then President of King, serving in this capacity until 2022, when he became Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Activision Blizzard. He stepped down in 2023, shortly after the company's acquisition by Microsoft was completed.

"I'm incredibly excited to join Discord at such an important time," Sahnini said in a separate statement.

Like many other companies in the gaming industry, Discord overexpanded during the COVID-19 pandemic in an unstable environment, and then made significant staff cuts to increase "agility". In May 2024, Discord announced a new plan that was much like the old one: to focus on being a place for people to connect while playing online games. Whether this focus will remain after the company goes public, when the priority of institutional investors will be profit growth, remains an open question.

Source: Discord