Popular photo editing app VSCO is seeing a change in leadership with the appointment of Eric Wittman, formerly of JLL Technologies and COO at Figma, as its new CEO, replacing co-founder Joel Flory. With the appointment, Flory will now become Executive Chairman of the Board and Founder, while co-founder Greg Lutze will also remain a board member and Chief Experience Officer.
Though the news may come as a surprise to those who have tracked VSCO’s growth over the years in the shadow of larger photo-sharing apps like Instagram and, now, the new crop of AI-enabled image editing tools, the company says the appointment is actually the culmination of a plan put into motion five years ago.
Both co-founders intended to bring in a President who would learn the business and assume the CEO role, the company says.
Wittman brings a range of experience to the position, having previously served as Chief Revenue Officer and Chief Growth Officer at JLL Technologies and, prior to that, COO at design powerhouse Figma from Jan. 2017 through mid-2018. He also served as general manager at Atlassian, CEO of a music tech company Songbird, and held senior positions at Adobe.
The executive joined VSCO in 2021, working at the company for over two years prior to becoming CEO of the app whose community now comprises over 200 million creators.
“I am honored to join VSCO and build on its legacy of empowering creators. Together with the incredible team at VSCO, we will continue to innovate, inspire, and connect creators across the globe,” Wittman said, in a statement.
The change in leadership signals VSCO’s desire to adapt to the changing needs and expectations of today’s creators, the company notes, and aligns with VSCO’s strategic direction and its five-year vision.
The move follows recent product changes at VSCO, which include last year’s launch of collaborative photo galleries called Spaces, where photographers can upload images around a theme and discuss their process, as well as the more recent advances into becoming more of a social network for photographers, which included tools for sharing text-based posts and messages. The company has also been working to address the needs of video creators with tools like Montage, for layering images and stitching photos and videos together, and new filters designed for video.
Both founders released statements in support of Wittman as CEO.
“We believe there has never been a better time for this transition. Eric’s leadership will undoubtedly drive VSCO to new heights, fulfilling our mission to empower creators worldwide,” said Flory.
“We remain deeply committed to VSCO’s community and its continued success. With Eric at the helm, we are confident in VSCO’s future and its positive impact on the creative world,” added Lutze.
Wittman’s appointment is effective immediately as of Sept. 18, 2023.
Correction: The press release indicated the appointment was effective Sept. 19, it was actually Sept. 18, the company corrected after publication.
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