The originator and head of one of the most significant dating apps in the globe is resigning after approximately ten years as the leader.
Whitney Wolfe Herd, the creator of the business in 2014, will assume the role of executive chairperson of Bumble.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Ms Wolfe Herd mentioned her intention to "innovate for the future of Bumble Inc and to take it into the decade beyond."
Slack boss Lidiane Jones will be taking her place in January.
At just 34 years of age, Ms Wolfe Herd achieved the remarkable feat of becoming a self-made female billionaire when Bumble was listed on the stock exchange in February 2021.
In 2014, she founded the company, giving its app an advantage over competitors by enabling women to be in charge of interactions.
Ms Wolfe Herd expressed her motivation for building a platform where women have the initiative in courtship was her annoyance with the obsolete gender roles dominating the dating scene.
Rather than the standard procedure, seen in most dating apps, only women are allowed to initiate communication with their matched male counterparts, while for same-sex matches either participant can start the conversation.
Immediately after its IPO, Bumble's shares experienced a peak of $75 but have since declined significantly. Following the declaration that Ms Wolfe Herd is resigning, the shares hit an all-time minimum of $12.77.
Match Group, Bumble's competitor, has witnessed its stock fall during the same period, owning both Tinder and Hinge.
Ms Jones is assuming the position of leader at Bumble, having been head of Slack, an instant messaging application widely used by businesses, since January 2023.
Previously, she was employed by Salesforce, the parent company of Slack, and Microsoft.
Ms Jones informed the Wall Street Journal that she intends to concentrate on leveraging AI at Bumble.
She noted the potential of AI in helping individuals locate the perfect person, friends, and/or a suitable community.
Prior to Bumble, Ms. Wolfe Herd had been on the original team at Tinder. Tensions with certain executives, including one she was in a relationship with, resulted in her departure. Subsequently, she initiated a sexual harassment claim.
Match Group Inc refused the allegations made against them, but they agreed to pay out about $1 million to put an end to the conflict.
Bumble is renowned for achieving success in their initiatives to increase women's safety, including their campaign to urge for the criminalization of cyber-flashing in the UK and EU.
In October, the UK enacted the Online Safety Act which made cyber-flashing a criminal offence.
Bumble indicates it has a policy of blocking users who make comments that are designed to body shame others. Similarly to other dating apps, it has the capability to recognize when nude photos are sent in private conversations and then offers the recipient the chance to decide whether to view or block those photos.
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