In another leadership shake-up at Sonos, chief product officer Maxime Bouvat-Merlin is departing the company just a day after CEO Patrick Spence's exit was announced. The company will not seek a replacement for Bouvat-Merlin's position.
Interim CEO Tom Conrad will absorb the chief product officer responsibilities, according to an internal email sent to staff. Conrad explained that his background makes the role "redundant" and the product organization will report directly to him.
The departure comes in the wake of major customer backlash over Sonos' app update released in May 2023. The update broke several key features, including accessibility functions and timer capabilities, leading to widespread user complaints. The company estimates fixing these issues and repairing its reputation will cost between $20-30 million.
Multiple reports suggest Bouvat-Merlin, who held the role since 2023, played a central role in the troubled app launch. According to current and former employees, he pushed for a premature release to align with the launch of Sonos' first wireless headphones in June. He also reportedly initiated disruptive reorganizations that separated long-time collaborating teams ahead of the app release.
When addressing customer complaints in May, Bouvat-Merlin's response drew criticism when he stated it "takes courage to rebuild a brand's core product from the ground up and to do so knowing it may require taking a few steps back to ultimately leap into the future."
The company continues to face challenges as it commits to the new app platform and expands into mobile audio devices. These latest leadership changes mark a turning point as Sonos works to rebuild customer trust and stabilize its product strategy.