Pinterest said its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ben Silbermann would step down, ceding the control of the social media platform to Google’s commerce executive Bill Ready.
The news jacked up the company’s shares 9 per cent higher and highlighted a shift in focus at Pinterest to e-commerce initiatives from its advertising-based business model.
Pinterest would be run by 42-years old Bill Ready who had successfully operated commerce and payments operations for two years at Google and also served in senior positions at PayPal.
His appointment brings to an end Silbermann’s 12-year tenure as CEO, which began when he co-founded the company in 2010. Pinterest has matured rapidly since then and now has more than 430 million monthly active users.
READ THIS
Twitter’s board endorses Elon Musk’s $44bn deal
SnackVideo wins best social media campaign award
Silbermann, 39, will take up the newly created role of executive chairman and keep his board seat, while Ready will also join the board, the company said.
Ready will receive an annual salary of $400,000 and be eligible for a stock option award to buy about 8.6 million Class A shares.
“In our next chapter, we are focused on helping Pinners buy, try and act on all the great ideas they see,” Silbermann said. “Bill is a great leader for this transition,” he added.
