RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK – Jim Whitehurst, former CEO of Raleigh-based Red Hat before it was sold in 2019 to IBM where he served as president before leaving in 2021, is back in a CEO role.
United Software named Whitehurst – also now a board member at Unity – as its interim CEO. Unity is one of the world’s largest game engine developers. It’s based in San Francisco. The company currently is worth more than $11 billion.
The shuffle came as the company grapples with a rebellion by customers over price increase, notes The New York Times.
The move came after Unity CEO John Riccitiello’s decision to retire. He also was the company’s board chair.
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“I am honored to join Unity as Interim CEO and President at this important time in its evolution,” Whitehurst said in a statement. “With the Company’s experienced leadership and passionate employees, I am confident that Unity is well-positioned to continue enhancing its platform, strengthening its community of customers, developers and partners, and focusing on its growth and profitability goals. I look forward to working closely with the Board and our talented global team to execute on our strategy, and I anticipate a seamless transition.”
Whitehurst joined Red Hat as CEO in 2007 and remained in that role until the IBM deal.
Unity builds software focused on the video game industry.
