Ben Chestnut

Ben Chestnut
Chestnut in 2019
Born1973 or 1974 (age 49–50)[1]
Augusta, Georgia, US
EducationUniversity of Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology
OccupationInternet entrepreneur
Known forCo-founder and former CEO of Mailchimp
Children2

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]

Risks of social media

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

  1. ^ a b c "Forbes profile: Ben Chestnut". Forbes. Retrieved 2 November 2022.
  2. ^ "Mailchimp's About Us". Retrieved 2012-10-05.
  3. ^ Carney, Michael (2012-11-30). "Attention founders: Here's how you respond to an unfair post about your company". PandoDaily. Archived from the original on 2013-06-05. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  4. ^ "Interview with Mailchimp co-founder and CEO Ben Chestnut". DoesWhat. 2012-09-26. Archived from the original on 2013-06-25. Retrieved 2013-06-17.
  5. ^ a b Atlanta Biz Journals.
  6. ^ a b "Case Study: Co-Founder Ben Chestnut Talks About MailChimp – Worth Of Web Academy". worthofweb.com. 17 November 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Interview with ben chestnut (mailchimp) – Does What". doeswhat.com. 26 September 2012. Archived from the original on 15 October 2018. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  8. ^ "About Mailchimp – Mailchimp". Mailchimp. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  9. ^ Kim, Larry (2019-04-10). "10 Fascinating Facts About Mailchimp CEO Ben Chestnut". Inc.com. Retrieved 2020-05-19.
  10. ^ "www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/event/154022/2017/most-admired-ceo-awards-sold-out". www.bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
  11. ^ "The New Atlanta Billionaires Behind An Unlikely Tech Unicorn". Forbes. 2018-10-08. Retrieved 2019-02-19.
  12. ^ Schiffer, Zoë (20 October 2022). "Did this email cost Mailchimp's billionaire CEO his job?". www.platformer.news. Retrieved 2023-11-26.
  13. ^ "venture atlanta". ventureatlanta.org. Archived from the original on 19 February 2017. Retrieved 15 October 2018.
  14. ^ Kantrowitz, Alex. "MailChimp CEO On Email's Age Defying Resilience". forbes.com. Retrieved 15 October 2018.