The Washington Post has appointed Jeff D’Onofrio as its acting publisher and chief executive officer with immediate effect, following the departure of CEO Will Lewis. The leadership change was confirmed by the newspaper in a statement posted on X on February 8.
Lewis stepped down days after the Post announced plans to cut around one-third of its workforce, a move that significantly reduced its sports and international coverage. The layoffs triggered protests outside the Post’s Washington, DC headquarters and drew sharp criticism from journalists and former editors. According to the BBC, Lewis told staff it was “the right time” to leave, saying that “difficult decisions” had been taken to protect the newspaper’s future.
ALSO READ | Will Lewis steps down as Washington Post CEO and publisher after mass employee layoffs
The Washington Post is announcing Jeff D’Onofrio as its acting Publisher and CEO, effective immediately. pic.twitter.com/38eGFkSXjL
— Washington Post Communications (@WashPostComms) February 7, 2026
Who is Jeff D’Onofrio?
D’Onofrio joined the Washington Post as chief financial officer in June last year and now steps into the top role. According to his LinkedIn profile, he is a digital media executive with experience as a chief executive, chief financial officer and chief operating officer.
His career spans live streaming, social media, news, advertising and e-commerce, with senior roles at Tumblr, Google, Yahoo, Major League Baseball and Ernst & Young.
ALSO READ | Punjab National Bank announces apprentice recruitment 2026: Check all details here
He served as chief executive of Tumblr from 2017 to 2022, following a brief stint as general manager of Yahoo News when Yahoo was owned by Verizon. According to The Verge, his tenure at Tumblr included the decision to ban adult content in an effort to reposition the platform, a move that led to a sharp drop in user traffic. Tumblr was later sold in 2019 to Automattic, the owner of WordPress, for a fraction of the $1.1 billion paid for it in 2013.
D’Onofrio became CFO of the Washington Post in 2025, with The Verge noting that his tenure coincided with broader cost-cutting measures under Jeff Bezos.
