DealBook: Go Daddy Chief to Step Down, as a K.K.R. Executive Steps In

July 31, 9:43 a.m. | Updated When the Go Daddy Group announced on Monday that its chief executive, Warren Adelman, was stepping down, the Web hosting company didn’t have far to go to find an interim replacement.

It plucked an executive from Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, one of its owners.

Go Daddy named Scott Wagner, a senior member of K.K.R.’s Capstone division, as its interim chief while it looks for a permanent new leader. While the company didn’t name a reason for Mr. Adelman’s stepping down, it said that the executive will remain at the company as a special adviser for strategy and global policy.

It is the biggest management change at Go Daddy since the company’s $2.25 billion leveraged buyout last year by K.K.R., Silver Lake and Technology Crossover Ventures. At the time, Go Daddy was seeking financial backers who would help support its efforts to grow, especially internationally.

It’s been growing since then, reaching more than $1.1 billion in sales last year and expanding its presence in markets like India.

But since being taken over, the company once known for risqué advertising featuring scantily clad spokeswomen like Danica Patrick and Jillian Michaels has been toning down its rebellious spirit as well. A new commercial nods to Go Daddy’s history of using buxom spokeswomen, but also brings in a decidedly less sexy employee to emphasize the company’s technological stability.

For the time being, Go Daddy will also be headed by a decidedly unflashy chief. Mr. Wagner leads the North American operations of K.K.R.’s Capstone unit, an internal consulting arm focused on improving portfolio companies’ performances. A veteran of the Boston Consulting Group, he has been working with Go Daddy on its international expansion efforts.

“I look forward to working with the innovative and long-tenured management team at Go Daddy,” Mr. Wagner said in a statement. “We will keep enhancing the ways we enable and empower small businesses to grow their online presence.”

But while Mr. Wagner is stepping in, he isn’t seeking to hold onto the job permanently, according to a person briefed on the matter.