Danny Rimer from Index Ventures stepped down from Etsy’s board of directors this month. The move follows the departure of Caterina Fake who resigned last July. Fake was replaced by M. Michele Burns, who, interestingly enough, had served on the board of directors at Walmart along with current Etsy board member James W. Breyer.
Replacing Rimer this month is Melissa Reiff, president and COO of The Container Store.
CEO and chairman of the board Chad Dickerson said it was typical for investors to remove themselves from boards when companies make the private-to-public transition, allowing for new, independent directors.
Dickerson wrote, “I’ve admired Melissa’s work at The Container Store from afar for quite some time. Aside from being a great business, The Container Store is a leader in the “Conscious Capitalism” movement that very much aligns with how we think about business at Etsy. Much like us, they are known for having a strong, values-based culture.”
At one time former eBay and Google executive Stephanie Tilenius sat on the Etsy board. She stepped down in 2011 and was succeeded by Jonathan Klein, CEO of Getty Images.
Other former Board members include Albert Wenger, partner at Union Square Ventures; Etsy founder Robert Kalin; and former Etsy CEO Maria Thomas
The Etsy board’s non-employee directors now include Reiff, Burns, Breyer, Fred Wilson, and Jonathan D. Klein.
