BROOKLYN, N.Y. (AP) – Etsy Inc. is replacing its CEO and cutting jobs as it faces pressure from shareholders upset with its lackluster profits and anemic stock performance.
The online crafts marketplace said Tuesday that it has named board member Josh Silverman as CEO, replacing Chad Dickerson, who also stepped down as board chairman.
The Brooklyn, New York-based company also said it is also eliminating about 80 jobs, or 8 percent of its workforce, as it moves to trim costs.
The announcement came just hours after shareholder Black-and-White Capital made public letters it had sent to Etsy’s board lamenting what it called the company’s “destruction of shareholder value.” It called for Etsy to explore “strategic alternatives,” a phrase that often includes searching for a buyer.
Etsy’s stock tumbled more than 16 percent to $9.50 in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company unveiled the management move and posted a first-quarter loss of $421,000. It had a profit in the same period a year earlier.