Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter steps down after 30 years at the company

Boston Dynamics CEO Robert Playter, who has been with the company for 30 years and served as CEO since 2020, announced his resignation in an internal memo on February 10, 2026. Amanda McMaster, the current CFO, will serve as interim CEO while the company searches for a permanent replacement. Playter succeeded founder Marc Raibert, who established Boston Dynamics in 1992 as a spinoff from MIT. Boston Dynamics is renowned for its advanced robotics, particularly its quadruped robot Spot, which was commercialized in 2020 shortly after Playter became CEO. The company also recently unveiled Atlas, a humanoid robot. Over the years, Boston Dynamics has changed ownership multiple times: acquired by Alphabet in 2013, sold to SoftBank in 2017, and most recently purchased by Hyundai in 2021. The leadership change marks a significant transition for the Massachusetts-based robotics pioneer.