WP Engine has appointed former Google engineering lead Thierry Muller as its new Vice President of AI Products. This strategic hire underscores the company's intensified focus on artificial intelligence as the web evolves to serve both human users and AI agents. Muller will lead pivotal AI initiatives, leveraging his extensive experience in open source ecosystems and large-scale product innovation to enhance WP Engine's AI offerings for the WordPress platform.
WP Engine appoints Thierry Muller, a former Google engineering lead, as Vice President of AI Products.
Muller will lead the company's strategic AI initiatives for the WordPress ecosystem.
His background includes deep open source expertise, having founded the Beans WordPress Theme Framework.
The appointment aims to address the web's dual evolution for both human visitors and AI agents.
WP Engine's AI Toolkit, featuring Smart Search AI and a Managed Vector Database, is central to this strategy.
The goal is to make advanced AI accessible for WordPress sites to create new, intelligent experiences.
As AI becomes integral to the digital economy, WP Engine is reinforcing its leadership team to navigate the intersection of open source technology and intelligent automation. The appointment of Thierry Muller signals a commitment to developing sophisticated AI products that empower WordPress users to build websites optimized for the future, where interactions are shaped by both people and autonomous AI agents.
Leadership at WP Engine highlighted Muller's unique blend of technical acumen and community-focused experience as critical for the role. Ramadass Prabhakar, chief technology officer at WP Engine, stated, “Thierry’s leadership will be instrumental as WP Engine creates solutions to ensure customers' content is available to their visitors wherever they are, and in creating experiences that serve the evolving dual nature of the web.”
Thierry Muller commented on his new position, saying, “The open web is facing its most significant evolution in a decade. The rise of AI agents requires a new approach to product strategy. Together, we are building the next generation of tools businesses need to thrive in this new digital landscape, ensuring their sites are optimized for the humans they serve and the AI agents shaping how the web is experienced.”
Muller brings a distinguished background that bridges major technology corporations and the open source community. His recent role as Head of Web Abstractions Activation at Google involved strategizing the connection between product innovation and open source ecosystems. Prior to Google, he served as Engineering Director at XWP, leading enterprise WordPress solutions, and founded the influential open source Beans WordPress Theme Framework. This experience provides a foundational understanding of both scalable engineering and the specific needs of the WordPress community.
In his new capacity, Muller will be tasked with advancing WP Engine's AI product suite, including its AI Toolkit. This suite currently offers tools like Smart Search AI for semantic search, AI-Powered Recommendations for personalization, an MCP server, and a Managed Vector Database. His leadership is expected to accelerate the development of new capabilities that help businesses make their WordPress sites intelligent, adaptable, and ready for an agent-driven web, ensuring content is discoverable and actionable by all forms of digital interaction.
About WP Engine
WP Engine, a global web enablement company, empowers companies and agencies of all sizes to build, power, manage, and optimize their WordPress websites and applications with confidence. Serving 1.5 million customers across 150+ countries, the global technology company provides premium, enterprise-grade solutions, tools, and services, including specialized platforms for WordPress, industry-tailored eCommerce and agency solution suites, and developer-centric tools like Local, Advanced Custom Fields, and more.
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