Washington Post CEO Will Lewis stepped down from his position on Saturday — throwing the prestigious Jeff Bezos-owned newspaper into further turmoil just days after the publication laid off some 300 staffers.
The Washington Post announced that Lewis would be resigning effective immediately.
He was succeeded by Jeff D’Onofrio, the former Tumblr CEO who joined the newspaper this past June as its chief financial officer.
D’Onofrio will assume the role of acting publisher and CEO.
Lewis framed his departure as the culmination of a difficult but necessary transformation, saying “now is the right time for me to step aside” after two years leading The Washington Post.
In a farewell note to staff, Lewis defended the sweeping changes made under his tenure, saying “difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post,” and thanking Jeff Bezos for his “support and leadership,” adding that the institution “could not have a better owner.”
Lewis cast the restructuring as essential to preserving the paper’s long-term mission, arguing the goal was to allow The Post to “for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day.”
In a separate message to staff, D’Onofrio struck a forward-looking tone, acknowledging that the newsroom was ending “a hard week of change with more change.”
D’Onofrio said he joined the Post with “long-standing respect and admiration” for its journalism and its “critical role” in democracy, while warning that the outlet faces the same economic headwinds battering media organizations across the industry.
D’Onofrio signaled a sharper focus on business fundamentals, telling employees that “customer data will drive our decisions,” as the paper seeks to prioritize what is “most valuable to our audiences.”
At the same time, he pledged that the newsroom’s “uncompromising, fearless journalism” would remain intact, calling it the “north star” as the company works to build a more sustainable operation.
Lewis presided over intense internal upheaval at the newspaper, most notably the abrupt resignation of executive editor Sally Buzbee in June 2024 after clashes over newsroom restructuring and editorial independence.
Her departure was widely seen as a breaking point that accelerated morale problems and signaled deeper dysfunction at the top.
Earlier this week, the Washington Post slashed 30% of its staff, laying off more than 300 journalists, including many from its sports and foreign sections.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Lewis drew sharp criticism for being effectively absent during the layoffs, declining to address staff while photos circulated of him attending a Super Bowl event.
D’Onofrio built his career at the intersection of tech, media and finance, with senior roles at Google, MLB Advanced Media and Zagat before spending nearly a decade at Tumblr, where he rose from CFO to CEO.
Most recently, he served as CFO of digital ad firm Raptive, overseeing finance, data and analytics.
“The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity. Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus,” said Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post.
“Jeff, along with [executive editor] Matt [Murray] and [opinion editor] Adam [O’Neal], are positioned to lead The Post into an exciting and thriving next chapter.”
