Thomas to exit Etsy next month

Former NPR digital media chief Maria Thomas is leaving Etsy, the online marketplace for hand-crafted goods that she has run as chief executive since 2008. Founder Rob Kalin will takeover as c.e.o. in January. It's not clear why Thomas is leaving. In a blog post announcing the change, Kalin wrote that the company has become profitable under her leadership. "Maria helped us reach this major milestone....Her long experience and business skills were hugely helpful." Traffic to the site has doubled in the past year, according to TechCrunch, which offers this speculation about the role that NPR's former veep played at Etsy: "Perhaps Thomas was brought in for adult supervision while Kalin, who is young, was learning the ropes."