Unlockd CEO Matt Berriman steps down following mental health issues
Matt Berriman, the CEO of Australian start-up Unlockd, has stepped down after revealing he is suffering from mental health issues.
Unlockd’s chief operating officer Jane Martino has been annouced as the company’s new CEO, while Berriman will take on an executive director role.
In an open letter on Medium titled “OPEN LETTER: My mental health battle & why I’m stepping aside as CEO of Unlockd“, Berriman detailed how he struggled to balance the onset of bi-polar disorder while trying to run the company.
“I began to experience symptoms, which I attributed for far too long to stress, lack of sleep and the start-up roller-coaster,” he wrote. “What I did not know at the time was I was fighting a battle with bi-polar disorder.”
Berriman has also been an advisor and investor in Jules Lund’s influencer marketing business, Tribe, since February 2015.
Martino was SVP global operations from 2016 until mid-last year, when she stepped up to COO.
She was Berriman’s “first investor” and “key advisor”, and has “effectively been playing [the role of CEO] for some time now behind the scenes as I continued balancing my own personal health challenges with being the founder and CEO,” Berriman explained.
“The success of the business is significantly attributable to her operational control, and in addition to the qualities she exhibits as a person leave me in total confidence and faith of her succeeding me as CEO. I will work closely with her in my new role to continue to drive the business and its success well into the future.”
Unlockd is an ad-funding platform that shows users ads when they unlock their phones, which are displayed in exchange for discounts on services.
Well done Matt for prioritising your health and so openingly sharing. Good luck with your treatment.
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Fantastic to read a story that doesn’t hide mental health issues behind the traditional camouflage phrases. But, just as a physical disability should be accommodated as far as possible, wouldn’t it be great to read that the role had been restructured to allow Mr Berriman to continue on?
Nonetheless, congratulations to Unlockd and to Mr Berriman for their forthright and honest announcement. May many others follow suit.
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Hi Luke… Have a read of Matt’s full statement posted on Medium which explains his intent to stay with the business and continue to support in the role of Executive Director.
Matt is a unique leader and his presence will continue to be felt throughout Unlockd’s growth story.
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Best of luck Matt – Startup’s can be brutal. Something that’s not talked about much. Many, many different pressures with no real support structure can break the best of us.
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Matt is one of the true gentlemen of digital in this country. Always generous with his time and smart as a whip. No doubt he’ll come through this. Best wishes from everyone at Optimise mate!
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Well done Matt,
First for taking the decision to put your health first, and second for having the bravery to make it public.
Perhaps the greatest challenge to dealing with mental health issues is the unwillingness to disclose and discuss.
Scott
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