people · May 20, 2026
Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow Defends Firing All HR Staff at Fortune Summit
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Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow disbanded the full HR department and installed a people-ops function by May 2026. Ryan Breslow returned as CEO in March 2025 after stepping down in 2022 when valuation peaked at $11 billion. Company headcount dropped sharply after multiple layoff rounds and 99 percent of managers were removed. Ryan Breslow reported that employee issues vanished following the HR elimination at the Fortune Workplace Summit.
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