Copy linkEmailFacebookWhatsAppXLinkedInBlueskyThreadsImpact Link
SaveSaved
This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers. Become an Insider
and start reading now.Have an account? .
Michael Seto/Business Insider
Phil Libin will step down as Evernote CEO and be replaced by former Google exec Chris O'Neill, Recode reported on Monday. Libin will remain as executive chairman.
Libin told Recode that his decision to resign is largely due to his lack of passion leading a company that's about to go public. He's said in previous interviews that he's more interested on the product side of the business.
“I’ve always said that I wouldn’t be the company’s last CEO. And I realized years ago that I didn’t want to be the CEO when the company went public...I realized I wasn’t passionate about being the CEO who will take this company public and that I should find someone who will be passionate about it," Libin told Recode.
Serving as CEO of a public company typically involves a lot more work than running a private startup, such as dealing with quarterly earnings calls, ramping up sales and marketing teams, while being transparent with shareholders. Libin said he's more passionate about working with “small teams of nerds” on “specific actionable things," according to Recode.
O'Neill formerly led the Google Glass project for 13 months, before leaving his position in June. He's been with Google since 2005, filling in various executive roles at Google Canada and Google X.
O'Neill will officially take over the CEO role next Monday.
Evernote is one of the most popular note taking and work collaboration apps. It has over 150 million users worldwide, with more than 20,000 companies using its premium business product. So far, it's raised roughly $290 million, and is reported to be worth $1 billion.
Evernote confirmed the news in the press release below:
Add BI in Google so our reporting is easier to find when you’re searching for what matters.
O'Neill joins as the company tops 150 million users worldwide and sharpens focus on redefining productivity for the global workforce
REDWOOD CITY, Calif., Jul. 20, 2015 — Evernote, the company whose apps help teams and individuals do their best work, today announced Chris O’Neill has been appointed CEO, effective July 27, 2015. Co-founder Phil Libin has been named Executive Chairman, a role that will allow him to be more actively involved with shaping the next generation of Evernote products.
“Chris brings to Evernote the experience needed to scale the company so that we can create the maximum positive impact on the world,” said Phil Libin, Executive Chairman of Evernote. "He’s highly regarded as a leader who can grow enormously successful teams while preserving their culture and values. I am both thrilled and honored that he is joining Evernote and look forward to all that we’re about to accomplish.”
With a skill set that well complements Evernote's current executive suite, Chris will help the company focus on sustaining growth, increasing revenue, and on an overall reimagining of the productivity tools that enhance an increasingly global and mobile modern workforce.
“I’m incredibly excited to work with Phil and the Evernote team to amplify the success they’ve had building products people both rely on and love,” said incoming CEO Chris O’Neill. “Evernote is already helping millions of people accomplish more every day. With over a billion knowledge workers globally and growing, we’re only just getting started."
Chris joins Evernote following almost ten years in leadership roles at Google. Most recently, Chris headed global business operations within Google [X]. Prior to that, he led Google Canada, where he was responsible for all aspects of the company’s operations in that country.
Chris holds an M.B.A. from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College and a Bachelor of Arts degree with Honors in economics from Huron University College at The University of Western Ontario.
Read next
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know
You're currently following this author!
Want to unfollow? Unsubscribe via the link in your email.
Eugene is Business Insider’s Chief Tech Correspondent, where he leads coverage of Amazon. His reporting spans the company’s retail and logistics operations to AWS, Alexa, and its internal culture.Previously, he worked at CNBC, Fortune Magazine Korea, and Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun. He holds degrees from NYU and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism.In 2022, Eugene reported on internal documents indicating that Amazon allegedly used deceptive tactics to enroll customers in Prime and made cancellation difficult. The Federal Trade Commission sued Amazon the following year, citing his reporting. The case ended in a record $2.5 billion settlement in 2025.His work has received multiple honors, including the SF Press Club’s Bay Area Journalism Award and SPJ NorCal’s Excellence in Journalism Award.Eugene lives in the Bay Area. Contact him via email at ekim@jkmperu.com, or Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp at 650-942-3061. Use a personal email address, a nonwork WiFi network, and a nonwork device; here's our guide to sharing information securely.
