Yishan Wong is no longer the CEO of Reddit over conflicts with the board of directors about new offices and a new location for the company.
Wong spent two and a half years as the head of Reddit.
"I feel the board is a very supportive and friendly one, but we had a strategic disagreement wherein I felt that locating an office in San Francisco proper is an incredibly difficult thing given the strains the city is facing and the high rents it imposes on employees who wish to live close to the office," said Wong in an interview. "On the other hand, many of our current employees live there, so the proposal to find an office location just outside the city (Daly City is immediately to the southwest outside of SF) was very unpopular, and there are plenty of startups who locate in SF and are very successful."
Chief operating officer of Reddit, Ellen Pao, will step in as interim CEO with Alexis Ohanian, a company founder, returning as executive chairman.
It is important to note Wong did not get fired as CEO, but is stepping down of his own accord.
"To be clear, though, we didn't ask or suggest that he resign -- he decided to when we didn't approve the new office plan," said Reddit investor, Sam Altman, in an interview.
Wong served as CEO during a rough time. Investors are nervous about the company because of a number of scandals, several involving sexist behavior from some of its users.
Many hope that a female CEO will help end that behavior. Yet the appointment of a female CEO at such a tumultuous time is also drawing comment.
"Evidence suggests that women are more likely to get promoted into leadership during particularly dicey times; then, when fortunes go south, the men who helped them get there scatter and the women are left holding the bag," said Bryce Covert for Slate magazine in March.
Despite this, Pao has a history of confronting sexism, having sued Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Buers for sexual harassment and discrimination. It is hoped by many she will take this attitude toward sexism into her position as CEO at Reddit.
