Match Group, the company behind Tinder, said Thursday it’s eliminating the chief operating officer role, a change that will lead to Hesam Hosseini’s departure after 18 years at the dating-app powerhouse. The move lands at a challenging moment for the online dating industry, as many users report app fatigue and Gen Z shows growing skepticism toward traditional swipe-based dating.
Hosseini had only recently stepped into the COO position on April 1, 2025, following a promotion. At the same time, he continued overseeing Evergreen & Emerging Brands as CEO. His rise came during a broader leadership reshuffle at Match Group, which included the exit of company president Gary Swidler and a series of cost-cutting layoffs aimed at saving roughly $100 million per year.
These latest changes are happening under CEO Spencer Rascoff, the former Zillow co-founder who joined Match Group in February last year and has been steering the company through a period of transition. Match Group did not announce any additional executive departures or new layoffs alongside the elimination of the COO role.
In a public LinkedIn post, Hosseini reflected positively on his long run with the company, saying he had a “front row seat” as online dating became the leading way people form meaningful connections, and expressed confidence in where the company is headed next. Rascoff also commented publicly, praising Hosseini’s tenure and impact, and crediting him with helping move online dating from a niche concept to a mainstream category while building brands and teams with lasting influence.
A source familiar with the situation said Rascoff has been deeply involved in day-to-day operations for some time, and that the two executives had previously discussed whether the COO role was necessary for Match Group’s current phase. That context helps explain why the position was removed rather than immediately filled.
Financial details also offer clues about the timing. Under Hosseini’s employment agreement, he earned a base salary of $635,000 along with the potential for a discretionary cash bonus and added benefits. The agreement was structured as a one-year term that would automatically renew on April 1, 2026 unless ended earlier, suggesting the company intended to evaluate the role after a full year. When the review point arrived, Hosseini chose to leave.
The leadership move follows Match Group’s first-quarter results, where the company posted a modest beat: revenue came in at $878 million and earnings per share reached 83 cents, topping analyst expectations of $871 million and 70 cents. Still, the company’s outlook for the year fell short of Wall Street estimates. Match Group projected $3.41 billion to $3.54 billion in revenue for the year ahead, compared with expectations around $3.59 billion.
Looking forward, Match Group is signaling that product innovation—especially AI—will play a bigger role in its plans, particularly for Tinder. The company has said it intends to introduce more AI-driven products and features designed to improve the experience on its flagship dating app.
Tinder is also preparing to host its first-ever product event this month, where it plans to unveil new features and share more about its future roadmap. The event appears aimed at reassuring investors that Tinder has a strategy to adapt to a rapidly changing dating landscape—one where more people are increasingly stepping away from dating apps and choosing to meet in real life instead.
This shift in leadership and renewed product push underscores the pressure facing major dating platforms: retain existing users, win back people who’ve grown tired of swiping, and appeal to younger audiences who want authenticity, safety, and better outcomes from online dating.
