YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down after 9 years at the helm
Indian-American Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer at YouTube, will replace Wojcicki.
Susan Wojcicki, Chief Executive Officer of YouTube, announced that she will be stepping down from her post, one that she's held for nearly a decade.
"I’ve decided to step back from my role and start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I'm passionate about," Wojcicki said in a blog post.
Wojcicki, previously a senior vice president for ad products at Google, became CEO of YouTube in 2014. She worked at Intel Corp. and Bain & Company, before joining Google.
"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 said in the blog.
"As for me, 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.
Wojcicki was one of Google's first hires and has been with parent company Alphabet Inc. for about 25 years.
YouTube’s ad sales decreased by 8% to $7.9 billion in the fourth quarter, but it still makes up more than 10% of Alphabet's overall revenue.
Neal Mohan to take over
Neal Mohan, Chief Product Officer at YouTube, will replace Wojcicki.
Mohan joined Google, YouTube's parent company, with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007. He became YouTube's Chief Product Officer in 2015.
Mohan is a graduate in electric engineering from Stanford University.
He will join a growing list of Indian-origin CEOs at the helm of US-based global giants, including Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayen, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. Indra Nooyi had served as PepsiCo's CEO for 12 years before stepping down in 2018.
Wojcicki said, "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.
"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," she said.
(The copy was updated with inputs on from PTI.)