Jeff D’Onofrio takes over as the Washington Post's acting CEO (Source: Washington Post)
Washington Post has named Jeff D’Onofrio as its acting Chief Executive Officer and Publisher following the departure of Will Lewis, whose tenure ended this week after a fresh round of mass layoffs at the storied newsroom.
D’Onofrio, who has been serving as the Post’s Chief Financial Officer since June 2025, steps into the top job at a moment of deep uncertainty for the publication. The leadership change comes days after the paper laid off roughly a third of its staff, including foreign correspondents and US-based journalists, triggering widespread criticism and condemnation from figures such as US Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Also Read: Washington Post CEO, publisher Will Lewis resigns after mass lay offs, cites reason behind leaving Jeff Bezos' newspaper
Earlier in his career, D’Onofrio held senior leadership roles at Tumblr, including CEO, President, Chief Operating Officer and CFO. He also worked at Google, Zagat, Yahoo and Major League Baseball’s digital arm (MLB Advanced Media). He briefly served as general manager of Yahoo News when the platform was owned by Verizon.
His most high-profile role was at Tumblr, where he was CEO from 2017 to 2022. During that period, Tumblr attempted to reposition itself by banning adult content, a move that was followed by a reported 30 per cent drop in traffic. Yahoo had acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion in 2013; by 2019, it was sold to Automattic, the owner of WordPress, for a reported price of under $3 million.
“This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he said. “I've had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike. All faced economic headwinds in changing industry landscapes, and we rose to meet those moments. I have no doubt we will do just that, together.”
The Washington Post Guild has said hundreds of its members were laid off “without rhyme or reason,” as the cuts swept through newsrooms already strained by earlier reductions.
Also Read: Washington Post layoffs: Bezos orders drastic newsroom restructuring as losses top $170 million — Is AI-led cost cutting spreading across media?
In 2023, the paper cut around 240 jobs, largely through buyouts. That same year, Bezos appointed Will Lewis, a former Wall Street Journal publisher, as publisher and CEO. Lewis’ tenure proved contentious, culminating in this week’s layoffs and his subsequent exit.
D’Onofrio now takes over as acting CEO and Publisher with intimate knowledge of the Post’s finances, having served as CFO for the past nine months. When he joined the organisation last year, he said he was eager to help “reach more readers, unlock new revenue streams, and transform to keep up with a media industry that’s changing daily.”
D’Onofrio, who has been serving as the Post’s Chief Financial Officer since June 2025, steps into the top job at a moment of deep uncertainty for the publication. The leadership change comes days after the paper laid off roughly a third of its staff, including foreign correspondents and US-based journalists, triggering widespread criticism and condemnation from figures such as US Senators Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.
Also Read: Washington Post CEO, publisher Will Lewis resigns after mass lay offs, cites reason behind leaving Jeff Bezos' newspaper
Jeff D’Onofrio’s background and career
D’Onofrio is a finance executive with experience across media, technology and advertising, but limited roots in traditional journalism. Before joining The Washington Post, he served as CFO at Raptive, a digital ad management company, where he oversaw finance, HR, and data and analytics teams, and worked on partnerships and acquisitions that helped drive revenue growth, according to the Post’s June 2025 announcement of his appointment.Earlier in his career, D’Onofrio held senior leadership roles at Tumblr, including CEO, President, Chief Operating Officer and CFO. He also worked at Google, Zagat, Yahoo and Major League Baseball’s digital arm (MLB Advanced Media). He briefly served as general manager of Yahoo News when the platform was owned by Verizon.
His most high-profile role was at Tumblr, where he was CEO from 2017 to 2022. During that period, Tumblr attempted to reposition itself by banning adult content, a move that was followed by a reported 30 per cent drop in traffic. Yahoo had acquired Tumblr for $1.1 billion in 2013; by 2019, it was sold to Automattic, the owner of WordPress, for a reported price of under $3 million.
Taking charge amid layoffs and backlash
In a note to staff , D’Onofrio acknowledged the scale of the upheaval at the Post, writing that “we are ending a hard week of change with more change.”“This is a challenging time across all media organizations, and The Post is unfortunately no exception,” he said. “I've had the privilege of helping chart the course of disrupters and cultural stalwarts alike. All faced economic headwinds in changing industry landscapes, and we rose to meet those moments. I have no doubt we will do just that, together.”
The Washington Post Guild has said hundreds of its members were laid off “without rhyme or reason,” as the cuts swept through newsrooms already strained by earlier reductions.
Also Read: Washington Post layoffs: Bezos orders drastic newsroom restructuring as losses top $170 million — Is AI-led cost cutting spreading across media?
What’s been happening at The Washington Post
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos bought The Washington Post in 2013, expanding its digital footprint and investing heavily in the newsroom in its early years. But like many legacy publications, the Post has struggled more recently as advertising revenue declined and subscriptions softened.In 2023, the paper cut around 240 jobs, largely through buyouts. That same year, Bezos appointed Will Lewis, a former Wall Street Journal publisher, as publisher and CEO. Lewis’ tenure proved contentious, culminating in this week’s layoffs and his subsequent exit.
D’Onofrio now takes over as acting CEO and Publisher with intimate knowledge of the Post’s finances, having served as CFO for the past nine months. When he joined the organisation last year, he said he was eager to help “reach more readers, unlock new revenue streams, and transform to keep up with a media industry that’s changing daily.”
