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On February 13, Strava co-founder and CEO Michael Horvath announced on the company’s blog that he was stepping down from his position.
“Over the years we have grown the team and our community well beyond the expectations we set for ourselves at the time,” he wrote. “I am so appreciative of the hundreds of individuals who have joined us over the years in building Strava into what it is today, the service you rely on for daily connection and motivation.”
Horvath founded Strava with Mark Gainey in 2009. In 2013, he stepped down from his role but then rejoined the company in 2019.
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“I am extremely proud that in my second run as CEO, through the dedication of this team and under my leadership, we have expanded who Strava is built for, invested in people and technologies to help more people find the motivation to be more active, and transformed our business success through the simple principle of making the product better,” Horvath wrote.
The step down follows a controversial few months for Strava, starting with layoffs in December 2022. Most recently, Strava received heavy criticism from users for raising the price of premium features without explanation. After a few weeks of backlash, Strava quietly released a statement on its blog explaining the changes and apologizing for the lack of communication.
“Our intention was not to hide these pricing changes, we just moved too fast,” the company said. “We also missed the opportunity to inform long-standing monthly subscribers that, by shifting from paying monthly to annual, they can avoid a significant price increase altogether.”
While Horvath’s statement did not address the pricing controversy, he went on to say that he decided Strava “needs a CEO with the experience and skills to help us make the most of this next chapter.”
Horvath will remain as CEO of Strava until the search is completed. Afterwards, he will serve the company as a board member.
Chris Hatler is a writer and editor based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but before joining Runner’s World and Bicycling, he was a pro runner for Diadora, qualifying for multiple U.S. Championships in the 1500 meters. At his alma mater the University of Pennsylvania, Chris was a multiple-time Ivy League conference champion and sub-4 minute miler.
