Slack founder and CEO Stewart Butterfield has announced his departure from Salesforce, effective January 2023.
Stewart Butterfield founded Slack, with its initial release in 2013. The company quickly went on to become a dominant force in corporate messaging, ultimately being acquired by Salesforce for $27.7 billion in mid-2021.
Barely over a year later, Butterfield has announced he is leaving Salesforce, according to an internal Slack message seen by Business Insider. The executive made clear his departure has nothing to do with Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor leaving the company.
“FWIW: This has nothing to do with Bret’s departure. Planning has been in the works for several months! Just weird timing,” Butterfield wrote.
Lidiane Jones has been tapped as Slack’s next CEO, a decision Butterfield had a hand in.
“Stewart is an incredible leader who created an amazing, beloved company in Slack. He has helped lead the successful integration of Slack into Salesforce and today Slack is woven into the Salesforce Customer 360 platform,” a Salesforce spokesperson told Insider, saying Butterfield was “instrumental” in Jones’ selection.
