GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke to step down

GitHub chief executive Thomas Dohmke said he will leave the Microsoft-owned code-hosting platform to launch a new startup, capping a tenure that included a major push into artificial intelligence through the company's Copilot products.

Dohmke, who moved to the US from Germany more than a decade ago after selling his startup to Microsoft, said his "startup roots" prompted the decision.

"I've decided to leave GitHub to become a founder again," he said in a blog post, but did not provide details about the new venture.

Before becoming CEO, Dohmke helped lead mobile developer tools at Microsoft and worked on GitHub’s acquisition alongside former CEO Nat Friedman.

Microsoft acquired GitHub in a US$7.5 billion ($11.5 billion) all-stock deal in 2018.

More than 150 million developers use GitHub's tools to build, maintain and collaborate on software projects, according to the company's website.

Microsoft did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Dohmke’s successor.

His transition period concludes at the end of the year.

Dohmke said that under his leadership, GitHub expanded globally, earned US FedRAMP certification for federal use and doubled AI projects on the platform.

Axios, which first reported the news, said Microsoft developer division head Julia Liuson will oversee GitHub's revenue, engineering and support.

GitHub's chief product officer, Mario Rodriguez, will report to head of product for Microsoft's AI platform Asha Sharma, according to the report.