Susan Wojcicki, the CEO of YouTube for the past nine years, announced that she is stepping down from her leadership role to focus on her family, health, and personal projects. In a letter to her employees, Wojcicki said that she is confident that YouTube has an excellent leadership team in place to continue moving the platform forward. Neal Mohan, YouTube’s long-time chief product officer, will replace Wojcicki as CEO. Wojcicki will continue to work with Google and Alphabet in an advisory role, offering guidance and counsel.
Wojcicki’s Contributions to YouTube
Susan Wojcicki worked as Google’s first marketing manager in 1999 and went on to lead the company’s online ad businesses and original video services, including Google Video, AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick, and Google Analytics. She was appointed CEO of YouTube in 2014, and under her leadership, YouTube grew to more than 2.6 billion active users, with 80 million paying for the platform’s premium service. In 2022, YouTube generated $29.2 billion in ad sales, which represented more than 10% of Alphabet’s total revenue.
During her time as CEO, Wojcicki emphasized new YouTube apps and experiences designed to cater to gaming, family, and music segments. She also spearheaded YouTube’s ad-free subscription offering, YouTube Premium, and the platform’s over-the-top streaming TV product, YouTube TV. She oversaw efforts to develop diverse forms of monetization for YouTube creators, including channel memberships, merchandise, and paid digital goods.
Wojcicki also responded to concerns that YouTube’s algorithm encouraged hate speech and violent extremism by tightening the platform’s enforcement policies. In a separate note shared with YouTube Creators, Wojcicki spoke to creators directly, acknowledging that their feedback was important and that the company must listen and do better.
Wojcicki’s Contributions to Google
In addition to her work at YouTube, Wojcicki made significant contributions to Google, where she was the company’s 16th employee. She is credited with suggesting that Google should buy YouTube after observing the success of the platform throughout the early 2000s. Google ultimately spent $1.65 billion on the acquisition in 2006. Wojcicki also led Google’s online ad businesses and was instrumental in the development of AdWords, AdSense, and DoubleClick.
Conclusion
Wojcicki’s contributions to YouTube and Google have been significant, and her departure as CEO marks the end of an era. She leaves a legacy of growth, innovation, and a commitment to addressing concerns about the platform’s content policies. Wojcicki’s successor, Neal Mohan, is a seasoned executive who is well-positioned to lead YouTube into the future.
