Mozilla names new CTO in wake of CEO’s Prop 8 support furore
Mozilla has named a new CTO in the wake of a controversy surrounding a briefly appointed CEO after it was revealed that he supported anti-gay marriage efforts.
Brendan Eich resigned as CEO earlier this month, following outrage after it emerged he had donated $1000 (£600) to help pass California’s ‘Proposition 8′ gay marriage ban in 2008
Eich had previously filled the position of Chief Technology Officer (CTO), which was never filled after he moved up, but today was taken up by Andreas Gal.
Gal has been at Mozilla for six years, and has been described as an “authority on web technology” by Firefox.
Interim Mozilla CEO Chris Beard announced Gal’s appointment, saying: “At Mozilla, our mission is to promote openness, innovation and opportunity on the Web and we do this by building trustworthy products and technology that give people more control over their online lives,
“Having a strong voice in the technology that underlies the Web platform and provides the foundation upon which the world builds products and services to bring that mission to life is critical.
“As our CTO, Andreas’ passion for technical excellence will help advance our mission and strengthen the open Web, and I look forward to working with him closely in his new role.”
Following Eich’s resignation, feedback site Firefox Input was the subject of a torrent of homophobic abuse, with 59,749 negative comments left in three days.
