Groupon said Rich Williams has stepped down as chief executive and Chief Operating Officer Steve Krenzer is also leaving his role.
Aaron Cooper, Groupon's president of North America, has been named interim CEO while the company’s board searches for a permanent CEO.
Groupon said Williams and Krenzer will continue as employees of the company but didn’t specify in what capacity.
“The entire Board of Directors is grateful to Rich and Steve for their service,” Chairman Eric Lefkofsky said in a statement. “Aaron headed our North America business and is well-positioned to take on the CEO role at Groupon, as we conduct a full process to install a permanent successor. We have a deep bench of senior talent and the team is intensely focused on executing against our strategy during this unprecedented moment in time.”
The removal of Williams and Krenzer come as Groupon struggles with disappointing sales. Business closures across the country due to the coronavirus pandemic has further strained the company, which provides discounts to local businesses, live events and travel destinations.
Cooper said the disruption caused by the global pandemic was "significant."
"Our immediate goal is to help millions of Groupon merchants, customers and employees navigate the massive challenges they face," Cooper said. "We have a strong team in place that is in constant communication with our community, working on opportunities to support them in new ways during these uncertain times, even as we continue to focus on strengthening Groupon’s leadership position.”
Cooper has held multiple senior leadership positions across his 10 years at Groupon. He was the company’s first chief marketing officer and also ran the Travel and Goods businesses before assuming his current role.
Prior to joining Groupon, he held a variety of marketing and leadership positions at Orbitz and optionsXpress as well as consulting roles at AEG Partners, AOL and Price Waterhouse Management Consultants.
