Emmett Shear has announced he is resigning as CEO of Twitch “to be fully there for” his first child.
Shear has served as the company’s CEO for 16 years, helping guide the company through its transition from Justin.tv to Twitch, and then through a deal that saw Twitch purchased by Amazon. Through it all, a love for what he does and the people he works with has kept him going:
I love the people I work with, I love that we create the opportunity for streamers to earn a living doing what they love, and I love the way we create a context for community for our streamers and viewers to come together where they can feel belonging and connection.
Shear’s first child was recently born, causing him to reflect on where he wants to go next:
With my first child just born, I’ve been reflecting on my future with Twitch. Twitch often feels to me like a child I’ve been raising as well. And while I will always want to be there if Twitch needs me, at 16 years old it feels to me Twitch is ready to move out of the house and venture alone. So it is with great poignancy that I share my decision to resign from Twitch as CEO. I want to be fully there for my son as he enters this world and I feel ready for this change to tackle new challenges. I will continue to work at Twitch in an advisory role.
Dan Clancy, the company’s current President, will take over as CEO. Given his close relationship with Shear, Clancy should be a steady hand that will help make for a smooth transition.