It was announced on March 11th, 2023, that Emmett Shear, the CEO, and co-founder of Twitch, is stepping down from his position. He will be replaced by Sara Clemens, who is currently the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Twitch.
Shear co-founded Twitch in 2011 as a platform for gamers to live stream their gameplay and connect with their audience. The platform has since expanded to include a variety of content, including music, talk shows, and creative arts.
Under Shear’s leadership, Twitch has grown significantly and has become a major player in the streaming industry. In 2014, Amazon acquired Twitch for $970 million, and the platform has continued to expand and innovate under Amazon’s ownership.
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In a statement, Shear said that he is “incredibly proud” of what Twitch has accomplished and that he is “excited to see where the company goes next under Sara’s leadership.” He also mentioned that he plans to take some time off to “reflect and recharge” before moving on to his next project.
Clemens, who has been with Twitch since 2018, has previously held leadership roles at Pandora, LinkedIn, and Microsoft. She will take over as CEO of Twitch on April 1st, 2023 while Shear remains as an advisor.
Shear’s decision to step down and elevate Twitch’s president was not unexpected. Clancy was already deeply involved in the company’s day-to-day operations and served as a public face for some of the company’s most important conversations. Clancy wrote a lengthy letter to the Twitch community last September, addressing controversial changes to the platform’s revenue split with top streamers.
“Emmett has dedicated 16 years to building Twitch, fostering our mission, and inspiring and empowering all of us to serve this incredible community,” Clancy said. “I’m so grateful for his partnership over the last four years, and for the opportunity to continue this work alongside a team that cares so deeply about our streamers and the larger Twitch community.”
