Duolingo, Inc. announced that Chief Financial Officer Matt Skaruppa will step down after nearly six years in the role, with Gillian Munson named as his successor effective February 23 2026. Skaruppa will transition to an advisory position, allowing him to continue supporting the company’s long‑term strategy while Munson takes the helm of day‑to‑day financial operations.
Skaruppa’s tenure has been marked by Duolingo’s successful public offering in July 2021 and the subsequent scaling of its finance organization. Under his leadership, the company moved from a growth‑only phase to sustained profitability, establishing disciplined budgeting, forecasting, and capital allocation practices that have underpinned the firm’s expansion into new markets and product lines.
Munson brings a strong track record in technology and healthcare finance. She has served on Duolingo’s board since 2019 and previously held CFO roles at Vimeo and Iora Health, where she managed multi‑million‑dollar operating budgets and led financial reporting for publicly traded entities. Her experience as audit chair on Duolingo’s board gives her an intimate understanding of the company’s financial controls and governance framework.
The transition signals continuity in financial stewardship while positioning Duolingo to accelerate product investment. Management has emphasized that the company will continue to invest in AI‑driven features and new learning experiences, even if that creates short‑term trade‑offs in margin performance. Investors have expressed concern about the leadership change and the company’s focus on long‑term product development, which may affect near‑term financial metrics.
CEO Luis von Ahn noted that Duolingo’s strategy remains centered on teaching more people and expanding user growth. He highlighted that the firm will keep investing in product innovation, citing the recent launch of Duolingo Max and AI‑enhanced lessons as evidence of the company’s commitment to long‑term value creation. Skaruppa’s advisory role will help maintain continuity during the transition and support the company’s capital‑allocation priorities.
Preliminary Q4 2025 results showed a 30% year‑over‑year increase in daily active users and bookings that reached the high end of the company’s guidance range. The strong user growth underpins the company’s revenue trajectory, but the emphasis on product investment suggests that margin compression could occur in the near term as capital is directed toward new features and AI infrastructure.
Overall, the CFO transition is expected to preserve Duolingo’s financial discipline while enabling the company to pursue aggressive product development. The appointment of a seasoned CFO with deep board experience positions Duolingo to navigate the next phase of growth and maintain its competitive edge in the digital education market.
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