
Discord confirms it's moving toward 'becoming a public company' as it hires a former Activision executive as its new CEO
Co-founder Jason Citron is stepping down, but will remain with the company as a member of the board of directors.
Discord co-founder Jason Citron has announced that he is stepping down as CEO, and will be replaced in the position by former Activision Blizzard executive Humam Sakhnini. Citron will remain with the company, however, as a member of its board of directors and an advisor to the new chief.
Citron's resignation comes a little over a month after the emergence of reports that Discord was making moves toward becoming a publicly traded company, and that is indeed what's going on: The outgoing CEO said Sakhnini was hired "to lead Discord through our next chapter of growth and someday becoming a public company."
"As we enter our next phase, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord’s long-term success," Citron wrote in a message to Discord employees that was also shared on the company's blog. "The job of a CEO is constantly evolving, and over the years I have continuously 'hired myself out of a job.' Usually that means delegating work and then taking on different leadership challenges. However, as I look at what is needed of Discord’s CEO over the next few years, I realize that it’s time for me to literally 'hire myself out of a job'