YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki Steps Down After 9 Years At the Helm

After nearly a decade as YouTube’s CEO, Susan Wojcicki is stepping down to focus on her family and personal projects. 

“The time is right for me, and I feel able to do this because we have an incredible leadership team in place at YouTube,” Wojcicki wrote(Opens in a new window) in the announcement to her employees. 

Wojcicki is handing over the reins to YouTube Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan, who helped launch new products at the video streaming service, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music, its Tik Tok-like competitor YouTube Shorts, and the ad-free YouTube Premium. 

However, Wojcicki isn’t leaving YouTube entirely. She’ll assume an advisory role with Google, which owns YouTube, and its parent company Alphabet. “In the short term, I plan to support Neal and help with the transition, which will include continuing to work with some YouTube teams, coaching team members, and meeting with creators,” she added. 

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Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as the company’s first marketing manager. Shen then advised(Opens in a new window) Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to buy YouTube back in 2006 for $1.6 billion. 

The acquisition paid off over time as YouTube unleashed an era of user-generated video content and a lucrative way for Google to make additional ad revenue. In 2014, Wojcicki was named CEO of YouTube, which has since become the most popular video-sharing platform in the US, far exceeding TikTok and Instagram. 

However, Wojcicki has faced plenty of challenges leading YouTube, like addressing misinformation, conspiracy theories, and hate speech over the platform. In addition, she oversaw controversial changes such as suspending former President Donald Trump’s account and removing the dislike button in an effort to prevent harassment against video creators. 

Wojcicki’s departure comes shortly after Alphabet laid off 12,000 people across the tech giant, including some staffers at YouTube. However, Wojcicki expects the video-sharing platform to continue to prosper. “With all we’re doing across Shorts, streaming, and subscriptions, together with the promises of AI, YouTube’s most exciting opportunities are ahead, and Neal is the right person to lead us,” Wojcicki added.