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Get filing alertsUpwork's Marketplace GM resigns; COO to assume marketplace leadership in April
Filed March 18, 2026 · Period ending March 12, 2026 · ~1 min read
Key Changes
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David Bottoms, GM of Marketplace, resigned effective April 3, 2026 by mutual agreement. The marketplace is Upwork's core business unit connecting freelancers with clients.
Item 5.02 verify on EDGAR → -
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COO Anthony Kappus will lead all marketplace teams (except engineering) starting April 4. CTO Andrew Rabinovich will oversee marketplace engineering. No external replacement is being hired.
Item 5.02 verify on EDGAR → -
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Bottoms receives 12 months' base salary as severance plus COBRA health insurance reimbursement for up to 12 months, contingent on signing a release of claims.
Item 5.02 verify on EDGAR →
Summary
Upwork disclosed the departure of David Bottoms, who led the company's Marketplace division—the core platform connecting freelancers with clients. The resignation was characterized as mutual and takes effect April 3, 2026.
Rather than hiring a direct replacement, Upwork is splitting marketplace responsibilities between two existing C-suite executives: COO Anthony Kappus will oversee most marketplace operations while CTO Andrew Rabinovich handles engineering. For retail investors, this represents a leadership change in Upwork's most critical business unit.
The decision to distribute responsibilities internally rather than recruit externally could signal either confidence in the current team or a desire to move quickly without a prolonged search. The severance package—12 months' salary plus health benefits—is standard for executive departures. Watch Upwork's next earnings call for commentary on marketplace performance and whether this reorganization reflects a strategic shift in how the company manages its platform operations.
Section-by-Section Diff
Event · Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation
Upwork's GM of Marketplace resigned; receives 12 months' severance; COO assumes marketplace leadership effective April 4, 2026.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
On March 12, 2026, Upwork Inc., or the Company, and David T. Bottoms, the Company's GM, Marketplace, reached an agreement regarding Mr. Bottoms's resignation and departure from the Company. Mr. Bottoms will remain employed by the Company through April 3, 2026.
David T. Bottoms, the General Manager of Marketplace, resigned from Upwork effective April 3, 2026. The resignation was by mutual agreement between Mr. Bottoms and the company. This represents a departure of a senior executive responsible for the company's core marketplace operations.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
Effective April 4, 2026, Anthony Kappus, the Company’s GM & Chief Operating Officer, will lead all Marketplace-related teams with the exception of engineering, which will be led by Andrew Rabinovich, the Company’s Chief Technology Officer & Head of AI/ML.
The COO, Anthony Kappus, will assume leadership of all marketplace teams except engineering starting April 4, 2026. Engineering for the marketplace will be led by the CTO, Andrew Rabinovich. This represents a reorganization splitting marketplace responsibilities between two existing senior executives rather than hiring a direct replacement.
Show 1 minor / wording change
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
Pursuant to the Bottoms Separation Agreement, subject to a release of claims by Mr. Bottoms, Mr. Bottoms will be entitled to certain payments and benefits after his last day of employment, including (i) a lump sum payment equal to twelve months’ base salary and (ii) reimbursement for any insurance premium payments paid by Mr. Bottoms to continue to receive coverage for himself and his covered dependents under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, as amended, or COBRA, until the earlier of (x) the effective date on which he becomes covered by a substantially equivalent health insurance plan of a subsequent employer, (y) twelve months following his last date of employment, and (z) the date he is no longer eligible for COBRA benefits.
Mr. Bottoms will receive twelve months of base salary as a lump sum payment plus COBRA health insurance reimbursement for up to twelve months, contingent on signing a release of claims. His outstanding equity awards will continue vesting only through his last employment date of April 3, 2026. These are standard executive separation terms.
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Figures/quotes linked to EDGAR · Narrative written by AI · Jun 8, 2026 · How we verify