Twitter CEO Dick Costolo is stepping down from his position, the company unexpectedly announced Thursday. Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey will serve as interim CEO starting July 1 while the board of directors searches for a successor.
“I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that the team has accomplished together during my six years with the Company,” Costolo said in a public statement. “I am deeply appreciative of the confidence the Board, the management team and the employees have placed in me over the years, and I look forward to supporting Twitter however I can going forward.”
The announcement comes amid mounting pressure from shareholders and activist investors for Twitter to shake up its leadership and start growing revenue and user numbers. Twitter’s stock is up about 7% in after-hours trading Thursday afternoon.
Twitter Inc. – Stock Price and Volume | FindTheCompany
Costolo also posted the news to his Twitter account, welcoming Dorsey into his new role:
See What Your Twitter Profile Looked Like Over the Last 10 Years
More Must-Reads from TIME
- Why Trump’s Message Worked on Latino Men
- What Trump’s Win Could Mean for Housing
- The 100 Must-Read Books of 2024
- Sleep Doctors Share the 1 Tip That’s Changed Their Lives
- Column: Let’s Bring Back Romance
- What It’s Like to Have Long COVID As a Kid
- FX’s Say Nothing Is the Must-Watch Political Thriller of 2024
- Merle Bombardieri Is Helping People Make the Baby Decision
Contact us at letters@time.com