LinkedIn CEO prepares to step down, sparking mixed reactions online

Ryan Roslansky stepped down as LinkedIn’s CEO on Wednesday after six years at the helm of the world’s largest professional networking platform. Dan Shapero, the company’s chief operating officer, takes over the role immediately.

Roslansky’s tenure has drawn attention across the tech and business community. He joined LinkedIn in 2009 — becoming one of Jeff Weiner’s earliest hires — and spent more than a decade working across nearly every part of the business before being appointed CEO in June 2020, during the peak of pandemic-driven disruption in the global labour market.

At the time he took over, LinkedIn had around 700 million members and roughly $8 billion in annual revenue. Under his leadership, the platform grew to 1.3 billion members and reached $19 billion in annual revenue, marking significant expansions in both its user base and monetisation

Much of that growth has been tied to a broader shift in LinkedIn’s identity. What once functioned primarily as a job-search and recruiting platform has increasingly evolved into a more active social network, where executives publish personal reflections, share career advice, and post video content. This transformation has also sparked strong reactions from users, with opinions ranging widely on how “social” the professional platform should become.

Roslansky is not leaving Microsoft entirely. He continues to hold the position of executive vice president at Microsoft, which acquired LinkedIn in 2016. He confirmed in a LinkedIn post that he will remain in this broader role, while Shapero — previously reporting directly to him — will continue in the leadership structure under his oversight.