Just days after warning developers that “if they don’t adopt AI, they might as well look for another job,” Thomas Dohmke, CEO of GitHub, has announced his resignation. The executive will step down at the end of 2025, when Microsoft, which has owned the platform since 2018, will complete the integration of GitHub into its CoreAI division, ending its independent operation.
Dohmke, who took over in 2021 following Nat Friedman’s departure, explained that his departure is driven by a desire to found a new startup and explore opportunities outside of Microsoft and GitHub. In his farewell, he emphasized that the company “will continue its mission” within CoreAI, and he will stay on until the end of the year to ensure a smooth transition.
Since its acquisition for $7.5 billion seven years ago, GitHub maintained a high degree of operational autonomy. However, the announced restructuring means that, after Dohmke’s departure, the leadership team will report directly to the core engineering team of CoreAI, led by Jay Parikh, a former Meta executive.
CoreAI encompasses Microsoft’s platform and tools division, as well as development teams (Dev Div), aiming to build an AI platform for the company and its clients.
During his tenure, Dohmke oversaw GitHub’s transformation into a leader in AI tools for developers, achieving milestones such as:
- Launching and expanding GitHub Copilot, from autocompletion to conversational development and full application creation with GitHub Spark.
- Opening Copilot Free to millions of users.
- Incorporating multiple AI models through partnerships with Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI.
- Enhancing security with GitHub Advanced Security, which reduced the average vulnerability remediation time by 60%.
- Growing GitHub Actions to process 3 billion minutes of CI per month (+64% year-over-year).
In his statement, Dohmke defended that “Copilot has introduced the biggest change in software development since the arrival of the PC” and expressed confidence that the future will see “billions of developers empowered by billions of AI agents.”
Dohmke’s departure echoes that of Nat Friedman in 2021, another transitional moment for GitHub’s structure. Since early 2025, the platform has been aligned with CoreAI, reporting to Julia Liuson and later directly to Jay Parikh.
Although Microsoft will not appoint a new CEO for GitHub, the company has assured that it will continue investing in its development, now fully integrated into its enterprise AI strategy.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
When will Thomas Dohmke step down as GitHub CEO?
By the end of 2025, after completing the transition to CoreAI.What does it mean for GitHub to be integrated into Microsoft CoreAI?
It means GitHub will cease to operate as an independent entity and will become part of Microsoft’s AI engineering team.What are the notable achievements during Dohmke’s leadership?
Expansion of GitHub Copilot, security improvements, and establishing GitHub Actions as a leader in CI.Will there be a new CEO for GitHub?
No, Microsoft has decided not to appoint a replacement; leadership will now report directly to CoreAI.
Source: Goodbye, GitHub ♥️