YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down, will assume advisory role at Google and Alphabet

Susan Wojcicki is stepping down arsenic CEO of YouTube aft 9 years astatine nan helm. In a missive to labor first published by Recode, Wojcicki said that she was leaving successful bid to “start a caller section focused connected my family, wellness and individual projects I’m passionate about.”

“Today, aft astir 25 years here, I’ve decided to measurement backmost from my domiciled arsenic nan caput of YouTube,” Wojcicki wrote. “The clip is correct for me, and I consciousness capable to do this because we person an unthinkable activity squad successful spot astatine YouTube.”

Wojcicki will beryllium replaced by Neal Mohan, YouTube’s main merchandise officer. Mohan came to Google pinch nan tech giant’s DoubleClick acquisition successful 2007, and — arsenic his responsibilities grew — he became SVP of show and video ads earlier being promoted to his existent domiciled successful 2015. As for Wojcicki, she says that she’ll return connected an “advisory role” crossed Google and Alphabet, offering counsel and guidance.

“I scheme to support Neal and thief pinch nan transition, which will see continuing to activity pinch immoderate YouTube teams, coaching squad members, and gathering pinch creators,” Wojcicki continued. “With each we’re doing crossed [YouTube] Shorts, streaming and subscriptions, together pinch nan promises of AI, YouTube’s astir breathtaking opportunities are ahead, and Neal is nan correct personification to lead us.”

Wojcicki — Google’s 16th employee, and concisely Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page’s landlord  — worked arsenic Google’s first trading head successful 1999 and later led nan company’s online advertisement business and original video service. After watching nan occurrence of YouTube passim nan early 2000s, she suggested that Google should bargain it.

Google ended up spending $1.65 cardinal connected nan work successful 2006, and Wojcicki was appointed CEO of YouTube successful 2014. Under her leadership, YouTube grew to much than 2.6 cardinal progressive users (up from 1.1 cardinal successful 2014) — 80 cardinal of which salary for nan platform’s $11.99-per-month subscription service.

As CEO, Wojcicki emphasized caller YouTube apps and experiences designed to cater gaming, family and philharmonic interests. She spearheaded YouTube’s ad-free subscription service, YouTube Premium (formerly known arsenic YouTube Red), and nan platform’s over-the-top streaming TV service, YouTube TV. Perhaps much importantly, she responded to allegations — immoderate would reason inelegantly — that YouTube’s algorithm encouraged dislike reside and convulsive extremism by tightening nan platform’s enforcement policies.

In a abstracted statement shared to nan YouTube Creators blog this morning, Wojcicki said again to creators directly. “It was a changeless item of my occupation to beryllium down pinch you, perceive really you were utilizing nan platform, and perceive to feedback,” she said. “Sometimes what you said was reliable and candid, but it was important for maine and nan wider YouTube squad to perceive and do better.”

Wojcicki was named “the astir important personification successful advertising” arsenic good arsenic named 1 of Time’s 100 astir influential group successful 2015 and described successful a later rumor of Time arsenic “the astir powerful female connected nan Internet.”

“Susan has a unsocial spot successful Google history and has made nan astir unthinkable publication to products utilized by group everywhere,” Page and Brin said successful a connection obtained by Recode. “We’re truthful grateful for each she’s done complete nan past 25 years.”