GameStop CEO Michael Mauler is leaving the games retailer after just a few months on the job.
In a statement, GameStop said that Mauler will be leaving the company immediately. GameStop cited “personal reasons” for his departure and didn’t elaborate on what those reasons might be. GameStop executive chairman and former CEO Daniel DeMatteo will return to the chief executive role in an interim capacity.
DeMatteo said in a statement on Friday that his “tenure and familiarity” with GameStop makes his transitioning to the interim CEO “a natural step.”
GameStop’s C-suite has undergone considerable turmoil over the last several months. In February, GameStop announced that its then-CEO J. Paul Raines was leaving after a long medical battle. Raines, who was replaced by DeMatteo as interim CEO, died earlier in March.
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Mauler’s departure could stun shareholders who only welcomed him to the company in February. Mauler had been with GameStop for more than 16 years before becoming its chief executive, and served as the company’s executive vice president and president of its international division. He was also appointed to the company’s board of directors.
In early trading on Friday, shareholders seemed displeased with Mauler’s departure, sending GameStop’s shares (GME) down 43 cents to $12.60. It was the latest bit of bad news for GameStop’s shares, which have halved in the last year.
