Video social media giant, YouTube has announced that its CEO, Susan Wojcicki, is stepping down after nearly a decade in the position.
Vox reported that the now-former CEO sent a letter to YouTube’s employees, claiming that she’s leaving so she can pursue her personal projects and focus on her family and health. Fortunately, YouTube was prepared and announced that Chief Product Officer, Neal Mohan, will be taking over the role.
“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. When I joined YouTube nine years ago, one of my first priorities was bringing in an incredible leadership team. Neal Mohan was one of those leaders, and he’ll be the SVP and new head of YouTube. I’ve spent nearly 15 years of my career working with Neal, first when he came over to Google with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007 and as his role grew to become SVP of Display and Video Ads. He became YouTube’s Chief Product Officer in 2015. Since then, he has set up a top-notch product and UX team, played pivotal roles in the launch of some of our biggest products, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium and Shorts, and has led our Trust and Safety team, ensuring that YouTube lives up to its responsibility as a global platform. He has a wonderful sense for our product, our business, our creator and user communities and our employees. Neal will be a terrific leader for YouTube.”
In the letter, Wojcicki reflected on her time when she started working with Google 25 years ago and how it changed throughout the years. She also talked about how she was there during the early parts of the AdSense program and how she was part of the Google Image Search creation. In the end, she felt like she was proud of everything that she’s done for the company and that now is the perfect time to do other things.
Over the years, I’ve worn many hats and done so many things: managed marketing, co-created Google Image Search, led Google’s first Video and Book search, as well as early parts of AdSense’s creation, worked on the YouTube and DoubleClick acquisitions, served as SVP of Ads, and for the last nine years, the CEO of 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. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved. It’s been exhilarating, meaningful and all-consuming.
Wojcicki worked with Google since 1999 as the SVP of Adwords & Adsense, before moving up to YouTube’s CEO in 2014. During her tenure, she oversaw the multiple changes that were made on the site, such as the infamous “adpocalypse” and changes to the site’s algorithm. And with every change comes backlash. From how the creator program has a view count and subscriber criteria, to how the site algorithm changes its priority from watch time to engagement, Wojcicki told Vox that “we managed to upset everybody.”
Fortunately for Wojcicki, her exit was met with kind regards from other YouTube staff and Google’s owner, Alphabet. They all appreciate what she has done for the company and believe that her successor will do an excellent job taking over YouTube.