The period of executive transition at Bit.ly, the popular link shortening service, continues. The company lost its CEO, Peter Stern, in a very public resignation earlier this year and today brings more changes.
We have learned through a source that its Chief Scientist working on data science, Hilary Mason, is stepping down from her daily role at the company. I reached out to her directly, and she confirmed the role change. She responded that she is “not leaving bitly,” but instead is switching jobs away from her “day-to-day role to a new role as a ‘scientist emeritus.'” She is currently “planning to continue supporting bitly while exploring a few ideas of [her] own.”
TNW was also informed, via the same source, that the company’s senior vice president of engineers, Peter Miron, is leaving the company. We were unable to confirm that potentiality.
Why do these two changes matter? As TechCrunch’s Drew Olanoff mentioned at the time of Stern’s departure:
Currently, Chief Scientist Hilary Mason and VP of Engineering Peter Miron are steering the ship until a replacement is found, along with guidance from betaworks’ Sam Mandel.
These were the folks set to manage the ship in the post-Stern days. Thus their transition away from daily work, and potential complete exit, is quite interesting.
Given the amount raised by Bit.ly less than a year ago, it seems doubtful that the company is short on cash. However, it could be that some of its key performance indicators aren’t hitting targets set by investors and its board. In that case, shaking up the leadership of a company isn’t an uncommon activity.
Mason, in a second email, stated that she and Bit.ly are “still defining what [her] role will look like.”
Top Image Credit: David Blaikie
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