Another Top TikTok Executive Departs as April 5th Ban Deadline Looms

By Marcus Hartley

April 24, 2025 at 09:05 PM

TikTok's Global Business Solutions Head Blake Chandlee has announced his departure from the company, revealed through an internal memo to staff. This exit follows closely behind former Global Head of Music Ole Obermann's move to Apple Music last month.

Chandlee, who has been with TikTok since 2019, will officially step down on April 1st but will continue in an advisory role. Will Liu, current leader of the global monetization production team, will take over the combined department responsibilities.

TikTok executive smiling in blue shirt

TikTok executive smiling in blue shirt

The departure comes at a critical time for TikTok, which faces a looming April 5th deadline to either sell its US operations to an American company or face a potential ban. This deadline stems from a divest-or-ban law targeting TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance.

Several other key executives have recently left TikTok, including:

  • Sameer Singh (Head of Ad Sales, North America)
  • Jack Bamberger (US General Manager of Agency Business)
  • Ole Obermann (Global Head of Music)

In his memo, Chandlee explained the restructuring: "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."

While multiple parties have expressed interest in acquiring TikTok's US operations, ByteDance and the Chinese government have shown resistance to a sale. The outcome remains uncertain as the April 5th deadline approaches, though the Trump administration maintains that a sale is being negotiated.

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