The Hootsuite logo is seen in this undated handout. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout-Hootsuite (Mandatory Credit)

By The Canadian Press

Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes is back as interim CEO, replacing Irina Novoselsky

Apr 13, 2026 | 9:00 AM

Hootsuite founder Ryan Holmes says he is returning as interim chief executive officer effective immediately with the Vancouver-based company standing at a “turning point” due to artificial intelligence.

Holmes’ announcement made Monday morning on Linkedln means that Irina Novoselsky is out as head of the social media company, which was founded in 2008 and employs about 1,000 people across the globe.

Novoselsky has found herself responding to public criticism in recent months over a controversial contract with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

In a statement posted on LinkedIn, Novoselsky did not comment on the situation with ICE but says she is grateful for her time at Hootsuite, adding that she and the company’s board “believe this is the right moment for a leadership transition.”

Holmes says he is excited to return after founding and leading the business for more than a decade, because the opportunities in front of the company have never been bigger.

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The entrepreneur, who stepped down as CEO in 2019 but stayed on the company’s board, says now is the time to build on its foundation, including what he calls “early traction” in the area of AI.

He says the company has always been at its best when it is building close to its customers, and Hootsuite will focus on investing in AI to help both customers and the company improve their performance.

“I’m excited to be back and defining the next AI-driven era of Hootsuite,” he says.

Novoselsky served as CEO for just under three-and-a-half years and finds herself out less than three months after it was reported that Hootsuite has been providing social media services to the DHS with a contract dating back to August 2024.

News of Hootsuite’s involvement with DHS sparked protests outside the company’s headquarters, and demands that Hootsuite “cancel its contracts and publicly apologize.”

The controversy surrounding the contract stems from the actions of ICE, which has received heavy criticism for a recent immigration crackdown in the state of Minnesota, highlighted by the deaths of two U.S. citizens in federal agent-involved shootings.

Novoselsky had said in late January that “what we are watching unfold right now is wrong.”

She said the loss of life and the fear being felt in communities as a result of recent enforcement actions are “devastating.”

“Beyond how painful it has been to process the current situation on a personal level, we have also felt the concern expressed about Hootsuite’s work with ICE’s public affairs office,” Novoselsky said.

She said Hootsuite has worked with government organizations across countries and administrations for more than 15 years, including the U.S. government.

“Our use-case with ICE does not include tracking or surveillance of individuals using our tools. Any claim otherwise is false and prohibited under our terms of service, which we actively enforce,” she said.

The contract between Homeland Security and New York-based Seneca Strategic Partners is to provide “social media management platform Hootsuite and support services,” and is worth up to US$2.8 million, according to a U.S government procurement site.

The site does not explain the relationship between Hootsuite and Seneca, which describes itself as a federal government contracting business wholly owned by the Seneca Nation of Indians.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2026.

Nono Shen and Wolfgang Depner, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press