GoPro announces 15 percent layoff of employees and director departure

GoPro has announced that it wants to lay off 15 percent of its employees, which amounts to about 200 people. This measure should lead to savings. GoPro director Tony Bates has also announced his departure.

Due to the savings, GoPro wants to make a profit again in 2017, the company says. Earlier this year, GoPro laid off seven percent of its employees. In addition to the layoffs, the company wants to close its ‘entertainment’ division and reduce the number of branches. Outgoing CEO Tony Bates worked for Microsoft and Skype before his time at GoPro.

According to Reuters news agency, the company has experienced declining sales in the past year and its shares have lost 60 percent of their value since its IPO in 2014. In February, the company announced it would halve its camera offering after it suffered losses in the last quarter of 2015. It recently released its new Hero 5 Black camera, two years after it presented its predecessor.

In addition, the company launched its first drone under the name ‘Karma’. It had to be recalled by GoPro in early November due to power problems. Due to that issue, it was possible that the drone fell from the sky during a flight.