Kevin Mayer has resigned as CEO of TikTok, just over three months after taking the job, the New York Times reports. In a note to employees seen by the paper, Mayer said that a series of changes to TikTok’s structure prompted him to leave. This follows the US government ordering a ban on doing business with TikTok's parent company, China-based ByteDance, and talks to sell TikTok's US operations.
“In recent weeks, as the political environment has sharply changed, I have done significant reflection on what the corporate structural changes will require, and what it means for the global role I signed up for,” he wrote in the email. “Against this backdrop, and as we expect to reach a resolution very soon, it is with a heavy heart that I wanted to let you all know that I have decided to leave the company.”
Mayer was named CEO in May after serving nearly 30 years in various positions at Disney. He noted in the mail to staff that he had signed up for a global role and that leading a global team had been a “big draw” for him.
Zhang Yiming, the founder and chief executive of ByteDance, said in a note to employees that Mayer had joined the company at “arguably our most challenging moment.” He said that he and Mayer had spoken and that he understood how Mayer’s global role would be affected given that he was based in the US.
Zhang added that ByteDance and TikTok were moving swiftly to resolve its issues in the US and India, where the app was banned in June.
TikTok confirmed the news and said it respected Mayer's decision.
