Bluesky's Toni Schneider Officially Named Permanent CEO
Original: Bluesky’s interim CEO, Toni Schneider, drops the ‘interim’
Why This Matters
Bluesky's leadership change signals a strategic shift as the decentralized social platform faces slowing user growth.
Bluesky has confirmed Toni Schneider as its permanent CEO on July 10, 2026, four months after he took over from Jay Graber, who stepped down in March to become Chief Innovation Officer. Schneider, founding CEO of Automattic, announced the change on his personal blog.
Bluesky's interim CEO Toni Schneider officially dropped the 'interim' title on July 10, 2026, becoming the company's permanent chief executive. Schneider, who previously co-founded and led Automattic — the company behind WordPress and Tumblr — had been serving in the interim role since March 2026, when longtime CEO Jay Graber transitioned to the role of Chief Innovation Officer. Schneider announced the update on his personal blog, writing: 'Most importantly, as of today, the interim part of the title is gone. I'm loving the mission and the job, and I'm all in as Bluesky's official CEO.' He identified creating 'smaller spaces and more private communities' as an early priority, calling it key to 'unlock the next wave of growth and innovation.' Automattic and True Ventures — where Schneider is also a partner — are both investors in Bluesky. The platform, originally spun off from X, grew to 43 million users under Graber, but has since faced challenges in retaining and growing its user base following a surge tied to the 2024 U.S. presidential election cycle.