Discord appoints ex-Activision Blizzard Vice Chairman as new CEO

Discord has named former Activision Blizzard Vice Chairman Humam Sakhnini its new Chief Operating Officer (CEO), effective April 28th.

The company’s Co-founder and current CEO, Jason Citron, will remain on Discord’s Board of Advisors and take on the role of Advisor to the CEO.

Citron co-founded Discord in 2015 together with Stanislav Vishnevskiy. He has served as CEO ever since, establishing the organisation as the arguably most popular communications platform for gamers.

While the company began pursuing additional revenue streams beyond its core subscription service in recent years, Discord laid off 17% of its workforce at the start of 2024. At the time, Citron cited inefficiency caused by rapid workforce growth as the reason for the layoffs.

In yesterday’s press release, Citron shared: “From the very beginning, our mission has been about bringing people together around games. It’s a mission I’ve dedicated my career to, and I’m confident that passing the torch to Humam is the right evolution for Discord’s future.”

In an exclusive interview with GamesBeat, the Discord Co-founder also shed light on his decision to step down as CEO: “I’ve been personally reflecting on the trajectory of the company and what it will be over the next five years, thinking about what I love to do. As you know, I’m more of a builder, an early stage kind of guy.”

Meanwhile, Vishnevskiy will continue his current role as Chief Technology Officer at the company.

Equipped with a Master’s degree in Business Administration, Citron’s successor Sakhnini brings over 15 years of gaming industry experience. The new CEO last worked as Vice Chairman for game studio Activision Blizzard. Prior to that, he spent six years with Swedish game developer King in the roles of Chief Financial Officer and President.

“I’m incredibly excited to join Discord at such a pivotal moment,” commented Sakhnini. “I look forward to working with Stan and Discord’s talented team to scale our business while staying true to the company’s core mission and the special connection it has with player communities.

“We’re still at the beginning of gaming’s impact on entertainment and culture, and Discord is perfectly positioned to play a central role in that future.”