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Will Lewis<\/strong> arrived at The Washington Post<\/em> as the storied paper was working to shed 240 employees<\/a>, saying then that<\/a> as a result of faulty financial projections, \u201cWe\u2019re not in a place that we want to be in and we need to get to that place as fast as we can.” The British media exec<\/a> had come to the US to be CEO and publisher of the Post<\/em>, starting in January of 2024. \u201cMy plan is to arrive and for us to together craft an extremely exciting way forward. I can smell it. I can feel it. I know it,” Lewis said in his first meeting with the newspaper’s staff.<\/p>\n Two years later, \u201cexciting\u201d might not be the word that Post<\/em> staffers would use regarding the publication’s \u201cway forward.\u201d The 148-year-old paper, which since August of 2013 has been owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos<\/strong><\/a>, laid off<\/a> over 300 journalists last week, a move that killed off its sports<\/a> and books section, and left its local and international teams diminished.<\/p>\n And Saturday, Lewis was out too, sending a brief email to staff that reads \u201cAfter two years of transformation at The Washington Post<\/em>, now is the right time for me to step aside. I want to thank Jeff Bezos for his support and leadership throughout my tenure as CEO and Publisher. The institution could not have a better owner.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDuring my tenure, difficult decisions have been taken in order to ensure the sustainable future of The Post so it can for many years ahead publish high-quality nonpartisan news to millions of customers each day,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n Will Lewis in 2023<\/p>\n <\/span>By Carlotta Cardana\/Bloomberg\/Getty Images.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n According to a statement from the Post<\/em>, CFO Jeff D’Onofrio<\/strong> has taken over as acting publisher and CEO. “The Post has an essential journalistic mission and an extraordinary opportunity. Each and every day our readers give us a roadmap to success. The data tells us what is valuable and where to focus,” Bezos said in a statement regarding the transition. “Jeff, along with [executive editor Matt Murray<\/strong><\/a>] and [opinion editor Adam O’Neal<\/strong>], are positioned to lead The Post into an exciting and thriving next chapter.”<\/p>\n Lewis was not present on the Zoom during which Murray announced the layoffs Wednesday, Post staffers who were on the call tell Vanity Fair<\/em>. He did, however, participate in meetings that day, during which he \u201cgave no indication he was leaving,\u201d The New York Times<\/em><\/a> reports. He was spotted Thursday<\/a> on the red carpet at the NFL Honors event in San Francisco, a pre-Super Bowl party attended by<\/a> actor Tiffany Haddish<\/strong><\/a>, athlete Travis Kelce<\/strong><\/a>, and rap icon Too $hort<\/strong>, among others.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n