SAN FRANCISCO: Unity, the world’s leading platform for creating and growing real-time 3D content, announced today that its CEO, President, Chairman and Board member John Riccitiello has retired from his roles, effective immediately.
James Whitehurst, a former IBM and Red Hat executive, has been appointed as the Interim CEO, President and Board member. Roelof Botha, the Lead Independent Director of the Unity Board, has been appointed as the Chairman.
Riccitiello joined Unity in 2013 and became its CEO in 2014. He led the company through a remarkable transformation, from a perpetual license to a subscription model, from a game engine to a platform for various industries, from a private company to a public one. He also helped Unity grow its community of developers and partners, and position itself as a pioneer in the developer space. Riccitiello will continue to advise Unity during the transition period.
Whitehurst is a seasoned technology and public company leader. He served as the CEO of Red Hat, a leading provider of open source enterprise IT products and services, from 2008 to 2020. He then joined IBM as its Senior Advisor and President, after IBM acquired Red Hat in 2019. Whitehurst said he is honored to join Unity and confident that the company is well-positioned to continue enhancing its platform, strengthening its community and focusing on its growth and profitability goals.
Unity also reaffirmed its third quarter 2023 guidance, which was previously announced. The company expects to report its financial results for the third quarter 2023 in November.