Blake Chandlee, TikTok’s global business solutions head overseeing advertising sales and marketing, is departing the company, according to an internal memo obtained by ADWEEK.
The news comes as TikTok approaches the expiration of a 75-day extension on a potential U.S. ban of the app amid ongoing tensions over its future in the country.
“As our offerings become more technical and our client product solutions become more sophisticated to provide even more value, it is important that Global Business Solutions (GBS) and Global Monetization Product Technology (GMPT) operate increasingly hand-in-hand,” Chandlee wrote. “To enable this, I have decided its best to streamline under one department lead and will be scaling back my day-to-day role to an advisory one.”
Chandlee, who joined TikTok in 2019, has been a key figure in the company’s defense against calls to ban the app. During last year’s NewFronts presentation in New York, he told advertisers, “We are not backing down,” as reported by Deadline.
He will officially leave the company on April 1st, but will remain an advisor for TikTok.
Chandlee’s departure comes at a critical juncture for TikTok, as the video-app strives to find a footing in the U.S amid mounting national security concerns. Meanwhile, players including Oracle and billionaire Frank McCourt are leading contenders to buy TikTok.
Other executives, including its North America head of ad sales (Sameer Singh) and U.S. general manager of agency business (Jack Bamberger), have recently left the company. TikTok told ADWEEK that Singh’s position has been filled by Khartoon Weiss, who currently holds the title of vp, global business solutions, and has been with the company for over four years.
TikTok did not comment on whether it plans to fill Chandlee’s position.
Read the full memo below:
“As Shou has just shared, as we strive towards 2025 goals and beyond, we have had many discussions about the future of the business and how to continue transforming our model. Notably, how we continue to move faster together in continued development of automated capabilities and deep integration into planning systems, TikTok Shop, and measurement & ecosystem partners.
As our offerings become more technical and our client product solutions become more sophisticated to provide even more value, it is important that Global Business Solutions (GBS) and Global Monetization Product Technology (GMPT) operate increasingly hand-in-hand. To enable this, I have decided its best to streamline under one department lead and will be scaling back my day-to-day role to an advisory one. Leaders of both organizations will report directly to Will Liu, effective April 1. I want to take this opportunity to share my perspective with you on why I believe it is the right decision moving forward.
Reflecting on the last six years, we have built something that has never been built before. In 2019, I joined a start-up whose userbase was growing fast based on a simple concept of short form video combined with music, creating a unique entertainment experience. A small group of us, split between shared working spaces in NY, London, and LA, were tasked with figuring out how to engage with this audience and introducing ads into the mix to create the first ads business on TikTok. We didn’t have a name, but came up with Global Business Solutions as it sounded impressive, and thus formed GBS.
