Dan Springer, chief executive officer at DocuSign.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images
DocuSign CEO Dan Springer is stepping down. The decision comes after the e-signature software maker lost more than 60% of its value year to date.
The company didn’t provide a reason for his departure but said Springer “has agreed to step aside,” effective immediately. Chairman of the Board Maggie Wilderotter will serve as interim CEO as the company begins its search for the next executive. Shares were up about 1% when markets opened.
Springer took on the role as chief executive in 2017 and took the company public in 2018.
DocuSign was able to capitalize on the Covid-19 pandemic as more consumers shifted to online transactions and deals. But its business has been slowing in recent quarters, especially as it faces tough comparisons to its dramatic growth in 2020 and early 2021. The deteriorating macro environment has also impacted the company. Shares were off 80% from their 52-week high as of Friday’s close.
Springer’s departure comes less than two weeks after DocuSign posted fiscal first-quarter earnings that fell short of analyst expectations, accelerating the company’s stock plunge even further.
Several Wall Street firms, including Evercore ISI and Bank of America, downgraded the stock on the report. The company projected 7% to 8% year-over-year billings growth for 2022, which is “well short of DocuSign’s prior guidance midpoint that called for 15% growth,” William Blair’s Jake Roberge said in a note to investors.
“Given management’s limited visibility, a sales restructuring that will take several quarters to complete, and a lack of near-term catalysts, we believe DocuSign’s stock will remain range-bound over the next few quarters,” he said.
