TikTok CEO Quits After Only Three Months

Kevin Mayer, TikTok CEO, resigned his position merely three months after taking the helm of the company. His resignation is following mounting pressure from the US government for it to split from parent company ByteDance due to national security concerns, according to The New York Times.

Mayer joined ByteDance 1 June as a COO, with his appointment including the top post at TikTok. He said that the sharply changed political situation prompted him to reflect on the impact on the company’s corporate structure and the global role he was hired to perform. Vanessa Pappas, TikTok’s general manager for North America, will temporarily take over the position.

Mayer was a big win for ByteDance: he previously headed the launch of Disney+  and also chaired its direct-to-consumer and international operations. His appointment appeared to be an attempt to assuage US government concerns over the security and safety of video streaming app TikTok. Earlier this week, TikTok launched a legal challenge to a presidential executive order banning US companies trading with ByteDance from 20 September.