By Tegan Jones
Publication Date: 2026-05-01 06:00:00
Canva’s long-time chief technology officer (CTO), Brendan Humphreys, is stepping down after more than a decade and the company is taking on the role of “head of technology” instead.
Canva confirmed with SmartCompany that Simon Newton, Humphreys’ 2IC, will take on the role of “Head of Technology” and oversee Canva’s global technology organization, rather than directly replacing the CTO position. Newton, who previously worked at Google and Uber, led Canva’s platform organization.
Humphreys joined Canva in 2014 when the company had just a dozen employees. He took to social media to announce that he was stepping down after 12 years and taking a break from the industry. After graduating in June, he will continue to work as a consultant at Canva.
“I’ve had 28 long and pretty wild years in this industry and it’s time for a real break,” said Humphreys…
