The Match dating application is displayed on an Apple iPhone in an arranged photograph.
Andrew Harrer | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Match Group CEO Shar Dubey is stepping down as chief of the dating app giant, effective May 31. Bernard Kim, president of Zynga, will take over the helm, the company said Tuesday.
Dubey will continue to serve as a director on the board and will take on an advisor role, “allowing her to focus on product strategy while playing an integral role in the transition,” the company said.
Match Group has increased its focus on product innovation in the past few years as dating apps are primed for a revamp. Following the Covid-19 pandemic, many people became more comfortable with digital dating. That allowed Match Group’s companies such as Tinder and Hinge to add new elements, such as social, audio and video. Kim’s hire could indicate the company is looking to further grow in the digital space.
Kim has served as the president of Zynga since 2016. In a news release, Match Group said he was “instrumental in Zynga’s explosive growth and was pivotal in the company’s expansion to new markets such as blockchain and hyper-casual gaming, as well as new platforms like the Nintendo Switch, Snapchat, and smart home devices.”
Shares of Match Group are down more than 40% year to date.