William Oesterle announced he's stepping down after nearly 20 years as CEO of Indianapolis-based Angie's List to become "more civically involved in the State of Indiana."
The Indianapolis Star emphasized that the move comes just a few weeks after Oesterle, a Republican, led a business community charge against Gov. Mike Pence over the state's passage of a religious freedom law many worried would give business' cover for discrimination against gays.
In March, Angie's List and other Indiana-based companies like Eli Lilly & Co. and Anthem Inc. urged Pence in a letter to pass additional legislation amending the Religious Freedom Restoration Act to explicitly protect LGBT people.
Additionally, Oesterle halted a $40 million expansion plan for Angie's List's Near-Eastside campus that was projected to create 1,000 jobs in protest of the law.
Oesterle took temporary leave from the company in 2004 to run two-term Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels' first election campaign, and was formerly on the board of trustees at Purdue University, where Daniels is now president.
News of Oesterle's departure and halting of the new construction project fueled some speculation that perhaps Angie's List, which has never turned an annual profit, could be under acquisition by another company.
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