Salesforce.com had its best month ever in October. So how did the company celebrate? By showing its CEO the door.
John Dillon, the president and CEO of the hosted CRM (customer relationship management) services vendor for the last two years, stepped down Wednesday. Salesforce.com founder and Chairman Marc Benioff, who had been president and CEO before Dillon joined the company in September 1999, will take the reins of the company once again.
“We made the decision that it was time for John to transition out of the company,” said Benioff today. “Were coming through a period of early-stage growth and are rapidly headed toward profitability, so we felt like it was a good time to shift our management.”
Benioff described the decision as “absolutely mutual” though Dillon could not be reached for comment.
“Im doing great, Johns doing great, the companys doing great, we just felt like it was time to make a change,” Benioff said. “Were ready for the next executive to come in and move things forward, pick up the slack.”
No search has been started for Dillons replacement and Benioff said theres no timetable to hire a successor. Benioff will run the San Francisco-based company in the meantime. “I was here every day anyway,” he said.
Benioff said the privately-held company had its “best month of all time” in October. It now has 3,200 paying customers with 50,000 users.
“John helped us to establish the core operating philosophy of the company,” Benioff said. “He made an invaluable contribution.”
Before coming to Salesforce.com, Dillon had been president and CEO of Hyperion Solutions Corp.