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In stepping down as Twitter CEO on Monday, Jack Dorsey is handing over the reins to a pc scientist with a PhD from Stanford who’s had a central position in creating the corporate’s synthetic intelligence know-how, all whereas staying largely out of public view.
Parag Agrawal, who joined Twitter a decade in the past and labored his means as much as know-how chief in 2017, will take over as CEO instantly, following Dorsey’s shock resignation. Dorsey described his belief in Agrawal as “bone deep.”
“The board ran a rigorous course of contemplating all choices and unanimously appointed Parag,” Dorsey wrote, in an e-mail to Twitter staff on Monday that he additionally shared through tweet. “He is been my selection for a while given how deeply he understands the corporate and its wants.”
Agrawal has been Dorsey’s closest accomplice in contemplating the way forward for the Twitter platform, and the 2 have a shared imaginative and prescient for decentralizing social media, in response to a former firm govt, who requested to not be named to guard confidentiality.
Specifically, Agrawal has been key within the creation of Challenge Bluesky, an open-source venture that has tapped some notable crypto builders to construct an open normal for social media. The intention is to create know-how and protocols that might enable content material posted on one service to work throughout a number of social networks, just like how emails could be learn utilizing any supplier.
Agrawal represents a stark distinction to Dorsey as the general public face of one of many tech business’s most high-profile corporations. Whereas Dorsey is a famend and, in some circles, infamous determine in Silicon Valley for serving to create a number of profitable start-ups and capturing giant audiences for his views on crypto, meditation and worldwide journey, Agrawal has been virtually totally behind the scenes at Twitter.
Dorsey has 5.9 million Twitter followers. Agrawal had roughly 24,000 earlier within the day, although that quantity soared previous 100,000 by late morning Pacific time.
Previous to becoming a member of Twitter in October 2011, Agrawal labored in analysis at AT&T Labs, Microsoft and Yahoo, in response to his LinkedIn web page. He accomplished his doctorate in 2012.
Agrawal can be operating an organization with over 5,500 individuals, up from fewer than 1,000 when he arrived.
“Whereas it was a decade in the past, these days really feel like yesterday to me,” Agrawal wrote in an email to staff on Monday. “I’ve walked in your footwear, I’ve seen the ups and downs, the challenges and obstacles, the wins and the errors. However then and now, above all else, I see Twitter’s unbelievable impression, our continued progress, and the thrilling alternatives forward of us.”
As CTO, Agrawal led the corporate’s technical technique and helped information improvement of its A.I. and machine studying know-how, in response to his bio.
Timothy Chklovski, a former Twitter software program engineer, praised Agrawal’s management fashion, technical prowess and dedication to Twitter.
“Parag is phenomenal, understands the issues, stays up late to get it completed, mentors others — he is the entire bundle,” Chklovski, who labored with Agrawal from 2012 to 2014, instructed CNBC. “And he lives and breathes Twitter.”
Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of web site integrity, tweeted comparable sentiments after the announcement.
“Parag was one of many first engineers I labored with after I began at Twitter (after we have been first engaged on timeline rating),” Roth wrote. “The rigor he brings to each determination was clear then, and I am delighted to see it acknowledged immediately.”
WATCH: Jack Dorsey steps down as CEO of Twitter
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