Ellen Pao Resigns as CEO of RedditThe embattled exec has faced heavy criticism for her leadership of the social news platform.

Ellen Pao is resigning as acting chief executive of Reddit amid a swirl of controversy as it deals with the firing of a popular employee and ongoing tensions over the limits of free speech on the social news platform.

Reddit co-founder Steve Huffman, also a co-founder of travel site Hipmunk, will become chief executive. Alexis Ohanian, another co-founder who has been working as executive chairman of reddit, will work "alongside" Huffman, said Reddit board head Sam Altman in a statement on Friday.

Pao said in a separate statement that she was leaving because the board had asked for higher growth than she thought was possible.

Controversy erupted around Reddit last week when the company's director of talent, Victoria Taylor, was dismissed. Site volunteer moderators shut down around 300 discussion sections in protest.

Pao achieved notoriety through a sex discrimination lawsuit filed against her former employer, venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers. She lost the suit earlier this year, and is appealing the decision.

She joined Reddit in April 2013 and became its acting chief executive in November.

(Reporting by Sarah McBride; Editing by Christian Plumb)