^{Photo: Bloomberg.com}

GitHub CEO Thomas Dohmke Announces Departure

Thomas Dohmke, who has steered Microsoft’s GitHub since mid-2021, is stepping down from his role as CEO. Dohmke, who originally joined Microsoft in 2015 through the HockeyApp acquisition, shared in a memo that he plans to “become a founder again,” signaling a return to entrepreneurial roots. He will remain with GitHub through the end of 2024 to support a smooth leadership transition.

Significant Growth Under Dohmke’s Leadership

Since Dohmke took the helm, GitHub has more than doubled its user base, growing from 73 million developers in October 2021 to over 150 million today. This rapid expansion underscores GitHub’s continuing dominance as the world’s largest code-sharing platform.

Integration Into Microsoft’s Expanding AI Ecosystem

GitHub operates within Microsoft’s CoreAI group, established earlier this year as the company plans to invest tens of billions annually in artificial intelligence infrastructure and innovation. The CoreAI division, led by former Meta executive Jay Parikh, now oversees GitHub alongside other AI-focused teams.

Dohmke emphasized GitHub’s ongoing mission in a blog post, stating the platform will maintain its leadership role in AI-driven software development as part of Microsoft’s broader AI strategy.

Leadership Transition and Team Structure

In the wake of Dohmke’s departure, three senior GitHub executives—Vladimir Fedorov, Kyle Daigle, and Elizabeth Pemmerl—will report directly to Julia Liuson, Microsoft CoreAI executive, ensuring continuity in management and strategy. Microsoft has not yet named a successor to Dohmke.

GitHub’s AI Milestones and Market Position

Under previous CEO Nat Friedman, GitHub launched Copilot in 2021, a groundbreaking AI-powered coding assistant developed with OpenAI. Copilot suggests code snippets and solutions to developers, boosting productivity across projects.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella recently reported that Copilot boasts over 20 million users, with Copilot Enterprise subscriptions growing by 75% quarter-over-quarter, demonstrating robust market adoption.

Rising Competition in AI-Powered Coding Tools

Despite GitHub’s early lead, new AI coding startups are rapidly emerging, intensifying competition. Companies such as Anysphere (creator of Cursor), Replit, and Windsurf have gained traction, with Windsurf’s CEO recently hired by Google in a $2.4 billion AI talent acquisition.

A recent Stack Overflow developer survey showed 76% of respondents use Microsoft’s Visual Studio Code, while 18% use Cursor, nearly 10% rely on Anthropic’s Claude Code, and 5% use Windsurf—none of which appeared in last year’s survey, illustrating swift market shifts.

Dohmke’s Vision for the Future of Software Development

In his farewell message, Dohmke expressed optimism about AI’s transformative potential, envisioning a future where “one billion developers” are empowered by billions of AI agents, driving a new wave of software innovation. He credited GitHub as the starting point for this “new gold rush” of technology.

‍