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Stephanie McMahon served as the WWE’s Chief Brand Officer and is one of its principal owners. On May 19, Stephanie took to social media to announce that she was taking a leave of absence from the majority of her responsibilities at WWE. This announcement shocked many fans and people within the industry.
As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE. WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family.
Initial reports stated that it was her decision to step away from WWE for the time being. But according to Business Insider’s Claire Atkinson reports, Stephanie’s leave of absence from WWE was executed by none other than her father, Vince McMahon.
”It was executed by her father, Vince McMahon, the organization’s 76-year-old CEO,” Claire Atkinson wrote.
As the Chief Brand Officer of WWE, Stephanie McMahon was in control of marketing, branding, community relations, and various other departments. WWE reportedly saw a lack of growth in sponsorship deals under her, which was around $20 million in the first quarter.
“We weren’t seeing that growth. When someone is moved out of a company, it’s usually the result of something not working. We took stronger control of that a few months ago,” said a company insider on Stephanie McMahon’s tenure.
Later, Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer reported that Stephanie McMahon leaving was 100% her choice. However, he has also heard that several key people within WWE were trying to bury her on her way out.
“Her leaving was 100% her choice,” Dave Meltzer wrote. “She had been talking about to close friends from when Paul had his heart issues. That said, key people in the company once she was gone did want to bury her on the way out. That shocked a lot of people including me and those close to her. When I noted to someone very high in the food chain about the burial starting, they told me that if they did that publicly it would be career suicide, only to find out they had already started and the burial was going to come from the top. There is a much bigger story here.”(H/T: Sportskeeda)
According to Brandon Thurston of Wrestlenomics, WWE President Nick Khan will be taking over most of Stephanie McMahon’s duties. The company also hired former Manchester United Chief Marketing Officer Catherine Newman, serving as the head of marketing beginning this month.
Nick Khan will be taking over most of Stephanie McMahon's duties in her absence, according to multiple people at WWE. Select business partners have already been informed.
— Brandon Thurston (@BrandonThurston) May 19, 2022
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