Twitter founder and CEO Jack Dorsey surprised many when he announced his immediate departure from the social media company on November 29, naming the company’s Chief Technology Officer Parag Agrawal as his replacement. Dorsey, who is also the CEO of Square, the digital payments company he founded in 2009, is departing Twitter after a tumultuous stretch that saw him nearly removed as the top executive in 2020, as well as multiple appearances before the United States Congress to address concerns about big tech, social media, free speech, and corporate responsibility.
His successor, Agrawal, has served Twitter as CTO since 2017 and is Dorsey’s handpicked replacement, with the former CEO noting his deep understanding of the company’s needs. Agrawal is a ten-year veteran of the social media company, and was tasked by Dorsey to lead the launch of Project Bluesky, a Twitter-led initiative to develop a decentralized social media protocol. The new CEO will have a full agenda of ambitious expansion and income goals, including a press to double the company’s revenue by 2023. In addition, Salesforce President and COO Bret Taylor will become the chairman of the board at Twitter, and Dorsey will leave the board when his term expires in 2022.
