Unity announced that John Riccitiello is retiring as president, chief executive officer, chairman and a member of the company’s board of directors effective immediately. The announcement comes just a few weeks removed from Unity’s debacle regarding its controversial install fee policy.
Unity appoints James M. Whitehurst as interim chief executive officer, president and a member of the board as Riccitiello transitions into an advisor role before his departure. Roelof Botha, lead independent director of the Unity board, has been appointed as Unity chairman. An executive search firm has been hired to identify a permanent CEO.
Notable excerpts from the press release may be found below, via Business Wire:
Unity Announces Leadership Transition
“Working with Unity under John’s leadership has been one of the highlights of my career. John joined the Unity Board in 2013 and stepped in to lead the Company in 2014, at a time when we faced significant challenges,” Mr. Botha said. “John has led Unity through incredible growth over the last nearly 10 years, helping us transition from a perpetual license to a subscription model, enabling developers to monetize, building other game services to serve our creator community, leading us through an IPO and positioning us as a pioneer in the developer community. Unity would not be where it is today without the impact of his contributions. I remain excited for the future of Unity.”
“It’s been a privilege to lead Unity for nearly a decade and serve our employees, customers, developers and partners, all of whom have been instrumental to the Company’s growth,” John Riccitiello said. “I look forward to supporting Unity through this transition and following the Company’s future success.”
“I am honored to join Unity as Interim CEO and President at this important time in its evolution,” Mr. Whitehurst said. “With the Company’s experienced leadership and passionate employees, I am confident that Unity is well-positioned to continue enhancing its platform, strengthening its community of customers, developers and partners, and focusing on its growth and profitability goals. I look forward to working closely with the Board and our talented global team to execute on our strategy, and I anticipate a seamless transition.”
