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Costolo Out as Twitter CEO, Dorsey Steps In (for Now)

Angela Moscaritolo
 & Angela Moscaritolo Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

Our team tests, rates, and reviews more than 1,500 products each year to help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.

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Twitter today announced that CEO Dick Costolo has decided to step down after six years, effective July 1.

Jack Dorsey, Twitter co-founder and chairman, will serve as interim CEO while the board searches for a replacement. Costolo will remain on Twitter's board, and Dorsey will continue to serve as CEO of the mobile payment company Square.

Costolo did not say why he is leaving the company, or offer any insights about his future plans.

"I am tremendously proud of the Twitter team and all that the team has accomplished together during my six years with the company," Costolo said in a statement. "We have great leaders who work well together and a clear strategy that informs our objectives and priorities."

"There is no one better than Jack Dorsey to lead Twitter during this transition," he continued. "He has a profound understanding of the product and Twitter's mission in the world as well as a great relationship with Twitter's leadership team. I am deeply appreciative of the confidence the board, the management team and the employees have placed in me over the years, and I look forward to supporting Twitter however I can going forward."

Twitter's board has formed a committee to lead the search for a permanent CEO. The search committee is chaired by the board's Lead Independent Director Peter Currie, and also includes Peter Fenton and Evan Williams. Twitter said the committee will consider internal and external candidates.

"The future belongs to Twitter thanks in large part to Dick Costolo's dedication and vision," Dorsey said. "We have an exciting lineup of products and initiatives coming to market, and I look forward to continuing to execute our strategy while helping facilitate a smooth transition as the Board conducts its search."

Twitter has had a bit of a revolving door when it comes to leadership in recent years. Co-founder Williams stepped down as CEO in 2010 and was replaced by Costolo. Williams further scaled back his role a year later (as did fellow co-founder Biz Stone), at which point Dorsey returned as executive chairman.

In 2013, New York Times reporter Nick Bilton released a tell-all book about Twitter, which detailed the behind-the-scenes battles amidst the company's execs, particularly Dorsey. Separate from the gossip, though, Twitter has had trouble on Wall Street recently, the Times noted today.

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade. 

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes. 

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app. 

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth. 

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light. 

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

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