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Susan Wojcicki To Step Down As YouTube CEO

BY Jane Muia · February 17, 2023 11:02 am

KEY POINTS

Wojcicki, 54, who joined YouTube as CEO in 2014, will be replaced by her deputy Neal Mohan, a senior advertising and product executive who joined Google in 2008.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

In 2019, YouTube and Google were involved in a case where they had to pay $170 million for allegedly violating children’s privacy laws.

YouTube Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Susan Wojcicki on Thursday announced that she will be stepping down from her role as the head of the online video giant.

“Today, after nearly 25 years here, I’ve decided to step back from my role as the head of YouTube and start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about…. The time is right for me, and I feel able to do this because we have an incredible leadership team in place at YouTube,” She said in a blog post.

Wojcicki, 54, who joined YouTube as CEO in 2014, will be replaced by her deputy Neal Mohan, a senior advertising and product executive who joined Google in 2008.

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She said that she will continue working with YouTube teams, coaching members, and meeting with creators. Susan was one of Google’s first employees and has worked as YouTube CEO since February 2014. She was named “the most important person in advertising and was among Time’s 100 most influential people in 2015.

During her tenure, she oversaw the company’s rapid expansion to become the largest video platform in the world. According to the video tech giant, the company now has more than 2.5 billion monthly active users, and more than 500 hours of content are uploaded to the platform every minute.

In her message, she expressed joy for being able to handle every difficulty that came her way during her career at YouTube.

“I took on each challenge that came my way because it had a mission that benefited so many people’s lives around the world: finding information, telling stories, and supporting creators, artists, and small businesses,” she said.

In 2019, YouTube and Google were involved in a case where they had to pay $170 million for allegedly violating children’s privacy laws. Wojcicki also came under fire during the 2020 U.S. elections and the Covid-19 pandemic as the platform struggled to contain misinformation and disinformation campaigns. YouTube is currently facing stiff competition from TikTok which has gained huge popularity globally.