Tinder-owner Match Group announced Thursday that it will eliminate the role of chief executive officer (COO), meaning Hesam Hosseini will be out of a job after 18 years with the dating app giant. The move comes as the dating app industry faces burnout and is losing popularity with Gen Z.
Hosseini has held the role of COO since April 1, 2025, after being promoted, and continued in his previous role as CEO of Evergreen & Emerging Brands. His promotion at Match Group follows an internal leadership shakeup, which also saw Match Group President Gary Swidler leave the company amid other layoffs designed to save the company $100 million a year.
These changes, including Hosseini’s departure, took place under Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff, a former Zillow co-founder who joined Match Group in February of last year. No other departures or layoffs were announced today.
In his LinkedIn announcement, Hosseini celebrated his time at Match Group, saying he “has a front-row seat to seeing our category grow into the first way people find meaningful connections,” and that he’s confident about the future. Contacted for comment, Match pointed to Rascoff’s comments on Hosseini’s public post.
“18 years is an amazing game, Hesam. Thank you for your leadership, strong hand and deep faith in this division and company,” Rascoff wrote. “You helped take online dating from the fringes to the mainstream and built teams and brands that will have a lasting impact. I personally appreciate your partnership.”
A source familiar with Hosseini’s exit plan notes that Rascoff has been with the company for a long time, and the two executives had previously discussed whether or not the role of COO was needed for this chapter of the company.
Per Hosseini’s employment agreement, he was paid a base salary of $635,000 with discretionary cash bonus and other benefits. The annual agreement was set to be automatically renewed on April 1, 2026, unless terminated before that date, indicating that the plan was to reassess the need for the role after a year. At the deadline, Hosseini made the decision to leave.
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The move comes after the dating app maker reported higher earnings for the first quarter, with revenue of $878 million and earnings per share of 83 cents, above estimates of $871 million and earnings per share of 70 cents. However, the company’s forecast for next year missed the mark, with $3.41 billion to $3.54 billion in revenue expected, compared to Wall Street’s estimate of $3.59 billion. The company said it also plans to roll out more AI products and features for its flagship Tinder app.
Tinder plans to host its first ever product event this month to showcase new features and map out its future roadmap. The event is intended to reassure investors that the company has a plan to deal with the evolving dating app landscape, which is seeing many users exit dating apps entirely to adapt to the real world.
Updated after publication with Rascoff’s statement.
