American entrepreneur
Ben Chestnut (born 1973/1974) is an American Internet entrepreneur. He is the co-founder (with Dan Kurzius) and former CEO of Mailchimp, an email marketing company.[2][3][4] As of November 2022, his net worth was estimated at US$4.1 billion.[1]
Early life
Ben Chestnut was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia[5] and attended high school in Hephzibah, Georgia. He studied physics at the University of Georgia and industrial design at the Georgia Institute of Technology.[6]
Career
He is the co-founder and former CEO of Rocket Science Group,[7] commonly known as Mailchimp[6] a CRM with 15 million users.[8] In 2016, he was recognized as Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year.[9] According to Atlanta Business Chronicle, in August 2017, Chestnut was awarded "Most Admired CEO".[10]
In October 2018, Forbes noted that Chestnut was a billionaire.[11] In August 2022, Chestnut abruptly stepped down as CEO one month after sending a nearly 1,400-word email to a small group of employees identifying what he considered an alarming trend in his workforce: new hires introducing themselves in virtual meetings with their preferred pronouns.[12]
Compensatory policies
Chestnut has focused his company's resources in providing compensatory benefits for employees.[13] Chestnut's motivation for his corporate policy stems from his being raised by his military father who had few economic opportunities.[5]
In an interview with Forbes Magazine, Chestnut countered arguments that social media would replace the need for email and email marketing.[14]
Personal life
Chestnut is married, with two children, and lives in Atlanta, Georgia.[1]
References
External links
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