In Move for Continuity, Mozilla Names Co-Founder Brendan Eich as CEO

Mozilla, the nonprofit maker of the Firefox Web browser and the new Firefox OS Web-based mobile operating system, has named an insider as its next CEO.

Brendan Eich has been involved with Mozilla since the very beginning in 2008, and has serious Web cred as the creator of the programming language JavaScript.

Mozilla’s previous chief execs included interim head Jay Sullivan (who’s now leaving), Gary Kovacs (who stepped down nearly a year ago), John Lilly (now a venture capitalist at Greylock) and Mitchell Baker (who remains chairwoman).

At a time when Mozilla is trying to launch a $25 smartphone, and in the face of ever-more-competent and wide-reaching competition from companies like Google — which also happens to be Mozilla’s main revenue source, via search referrals in Firefox — it is continuity that the organization seeks.

“Brendan brings Mozilla’s founding vision and boldness to our current initiatives,” said the official Mozilla blog post. “These traits are a unique asset as Mozilla brings openness and choice through new initiative such as Firefox OS and cloud services. Brendan and Mitchell’s fifteen-year history of co-founding Mozilla and working together is an asset in this time of necessary organizational and community growth.”

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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