The Washington Post has announced Jeff D’Onofrio to fill in as the publication’s acting CEO and publisher.
The publisher and CEO of The Washington Post, Will Lewis, announced his decision to step down on Feb. 7, just days after the publication implemented significant staff cuts.
“After two years of transformation at The Washington Post, now is the right time for me to step aside,” Lewis wrote in an email to the paper’s staff.
On Feb. 4, the publication announced layoffs across nearly all of its news departments.
Lewis did not directly mention the staff cuts in his email on the evening of Feb. 7 but said “difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post.”
Lewis had held the title of publisher and CEO at The Washington Post since January 2024. He had also been the CEO and publisher of The Wall Street Journal from 2014 to 2020.
Shortly after Lewis made public his resignation, The Washington Post announced that Jeff D’Onofrio would fill in as the publication’s acting CEO and publisher.
“The Post’s resolute commitment to writing the first rough draft of history anchors and imprints its future,“ D’Onofrio said in a statement shared by the publication. ”I am honored to become part of charting that future and to take the lead in securing both the legacy and business of this fierce, storied American institution.”
D’Onofrio has served as the chief financial officer at The Washington Post since June 2025. Before that, he had served as the CFO for the digital media and advertising company Raptive. He also served as CEO and CFO of the social media platform Tumblr.
“The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity,“ Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post, said in a statement addressing the leadership change. ”Each and every day, our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus.”
Bezos, who acquired the publication in 2013, said the current leadership at the publication is ready to lead it “into an exciting and thriving next chapter.”
By Ryan Morgan
