Will Mozilla’s new CEO be able to make Firefox shine again?

The browser editor Mozilla Firefox changes direction. The former manager leaves her place to a newcomer, who seeks to reorient the company’s missions towardsartificial intelligence.

Mozilla remains a recognized brand in the world of internet browsers, even if Firefox has been left behind by Google Chrome or Apple Safari for several years. The time has come for a change in strategy for the company, and this new orientation is materialized today by a change in its management. A new CEO takes her place, while the former manager remains in the company, in a lower position.

Mitchelle Baker leaves her place and once again becomes the public face of the company

Mitchell Baker is therefore leaving his place and immediately leaving his position as CEO of Mozilla. The announcement was made on the company blog by the manager herself, who was keen to explain the reasons which are now pushing her to take a step back.

“ During my 25 years at Mozilla, I have worn many hats, and this decision is driven by a desire to streamline our focus and leadership for the challenges ahead “. Mitchell Baker was CEO of Mozilla twice, the first time from 2005 to 2008, then returned to the head of the company in 2019. During the first months of her second mandate, the leader worked to lay off 350 employees.

Ms. Baker has also been singled out for her financial management of Mozilla. Cal Paterson, a developer and user of Firefox, published a vitriolic analysis of the company’s accounts at the time, noting that administration represented no less than 30% of monthly expenses. His salary, estimated at $6.9 million in 2022, and constantly increasing, has also been strongly criticized.

Mitchell Baker is not abandoning Mozilla and will once again become its public face with the position of executive president.

A new leader for a major change in strategy

Today, Laura Chambers takes the reins of Mozilla. The new CEO is not unknown to the company’s teams since she has been part of its board of directors since 2021. Before that, she worked at Airbnb, PayPal, eBay, and led Willow Innovations , a company dedicated to the development of connected breast pumps.

Laura Chambers has been named interim CEO of the company and will be responsible for defining a new strategy for Mozilla for the coming years, as well as strengthening Mozilla’s position in the internet browser market. As we mentioned in our columns, despite its evolution towards more security, and a focus on confidentiality, the web browser today only represents 2% of market share and Mozilla must evolve towards other sectors to survive.

Mozilla has since expanded into the world of services, notably with Firefox Monitor, which recently added a subscription-based personal data monitoring tool. Mozilla also wants to accelerate on artificial intelligence, after launching its own chatbot.

Source : The Register