Whitney Wolfe Herd Returns to Bumble Helm
Whitney Wolfe Herd has returned as CEO of Bumble, the dating app she founded. This follows the unexpected departure of former CEO Lidiane Jones.
In a recent New York Times interview, Wolfe Herd discussed her return, stating,
"I had no intentions of coming back."She explained that her time away from Bumble involved reflection and board participation. This changed when Jones confided in her about feeling overwhelmed, ultimately leading to Jones's resignation.
Wolfe Herd dismissed rumors of conflict, emphasizing,
"I think the world wants people — particularly when it’s a woman to a woman — they want there to be some riff. There’s no riff."
Burnout and Reflection
Wolfe Herd recognized her own past burnout mirrored in Jones's experience.
"I felt like I was looking in a mirror,"she said.
"I felt like I was looking at myself a year prior. [Jones] herself had made some of the same mistakes I had made, which was working that extra hour, putting in that extra trip."
The return coincides with Bumble's challenging first quarter, with earnings down 7.7% year-over-year. Wolfe Herd acknowledged the company's struggles, stating,
"Bumble needs me back. It’s an extension of me to some degree, and watching it fall from its peak has been very hard."
Wolfe Herd, who recently announced she is expecting her third child, now faces the task of revitalizing Bumble's growth and navigating the challenges of the dating app market.
Read the full interview in the New York Times. Learn more about Bumble's Q1 performance at Business Insider and Wolfe Herd's personal announcement on Instagram.
