In brief
On Wednesday, Canva CEO Melanie Perkins announced a restructure that will affect 1,271 employees—about 22 percent of the company’s workforce—citing slower growth as the main driver. The plan will merge product, growth, and platform teams, shift many staff to the Sydney hub, and may involve relocations. While the memo did not discuss AI, media reports suggest the changes are aimed at future AI‑related products.
Australian design giant Canva announced on Wednesday that over 1,200 jobs will be affected by a major restructure, a move that will see 1,271 people—roughly 22 percent of its global workforce—lose or change roles as the company responds to slower growth. The announcement was made in a note from CEO and co‑founder Melanie Perkins to staff, who said the changes would involve merging its product, growth and platform teams into a single product organisation and relocating some employees to a centralised hub, with Sydney becoming the primary home for many product teams.
The restructuring follows Canberra‑based Canva’s August downgrade of its 2026 revenue forecast, cutting growth projections from 30 percent to 20 percent and trimming its internal valuation to 43.9 billion Australian dollars (about 30.6 billion U.S. dollars). In the memo, Perkins reflected on the company’s history and the need for change, stating: “If some people are asked to relocate to our hubs or change roles, it will mean learning new ways of working.”
While Perkins’ note did not reference artificial intelligence, media outlets—including reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation—have suggested that the restructure may prepare Canva for future AI‑related product development. Those claims remain unconfirmed by the company’s official communications.
