Susan Wojcicki

Susan Wojcicki will be stepping down as CEO of the Google-owned video platform YouTube. She will be replaced by Chief Product Officer Neal Mohan.

Wojcicki nodded to that ecosystem in her farewell letter, thanking her colleagues for fueling “the largest creative economy the world has ever seen” and helping “millions of creators and artists to reach new audiences.” “In the longer term, I’ve agreed with [Google Chief Executive Sundar Pichai] to take on an advisory role across Google and [Google’s parent company,] Alphabet.” In June 2019, Google opened two large soundstages inside the ](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-youtube-originals-susanne-daniels-20190626-story.html) [historic Spruce Goose hangar](https://www.latimes.com/business/hollywood/la-fi-ct-youtube-20181107-story.html) complex for its L.A.-based original productions. To address that issue, YouTube changed the threshold for creators to qualify for ad revenue and increased its content moderation efforts. But the company’s efforts to produce original content were later [scaled back](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-01-18/youtube-scales-back-original-programming) significantly. Last year, YouTube generated $29.2 billion in advertising, representing 13% of its parent, Google’s, advertising revenue. Those efforts helped make some videos slicker and more elaborate while also meeting the appetites of content-hungry viewers. Wojcicki, one of the tech industry’s most prominent female executives, was CEO during YouTube’s dramatic transition from an amateur video uploading site to a massive media and advertising powerhouse. In her farewell note, Wojcicki recounted a career that began a quarter-century ago when she joined up with Larry Page and Sergey Brin, two Stanford graduate students who were building Google. [launched programs](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/business/story/2022-09-21/as-tiktok-eats-the-world-youtube-makes-a-bid-for-creators-hearts-and-wallets) meant to make it more lucrative to be a YouTuber — especially on Shorts, the company’s answer to short-form video titan TikTok. [acquired](https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2006-oct-10-fi-google10-story.html) YouTube for $1.65 billion, and in 2014, Wojcicki — then an ad executive at Google — became [chief executive](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-new-youtube-ceo-20140205-story.html) of the video platform. [renting out her garage](https://www.latimes.com/business/la-xpm-2013-sep-26-la-fi-tn-google-celebrates-15th-birthday-in-its-original-garage-20130926-story.html) to the founders for $1,700 a month.

One of the most prominent women in tech — and one of Google's earliest employees — is stepping down.

It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of it, and I’m excited for what’s next. I also want to thank Larry and Sergey for inviting me on what has truly been the adventure of a lifetime. But for now, I want to thank Sundar for his leadership, support and vision over the years. 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. You created the largest creative economy the world has ever seen, enabled entirely new forms of art and storytelling, and supported millions of creators and artists to reach new audiences—all while investing in responsible growth so that this brilliant community of creators, artists, viewers and advertisers could not only co-exist but thrive together. For all the YouTubers I’ve had the privilege to work with, you have done so much to make this platform better over the years. 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. Neal Mohan was one of those leaders, and he’ll be the SVP and new head of YouTube. 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 saw the potential of what they were building, which was incredibly exciting, and although the company had only a few users and no revenue, I decided to join the team. Twenty-five years ago I made the decision to join a couple of Stanford graduate students who were building a new search engine. And she was an integral part of Google’s founding — she famously rented out her Silicon Valley garage to co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998, and joined the company as its 16th employee a year later.

Then-CEO of YouTube Susan Wojcicki participates in the CEE Innovator Summit on March 28, 2017 in Warsaw, Poland. Karol Serewis—Gallo Images Poland/Getty Images.

- The Under the Donald Trump presidency, the platform struggled with issues around extremism, disinformation and child safety. Wojcicki brought a renewed focus on challenging the TV ad market, boosting YouTube’s creators and its ties with media companies. After lending her garage to the company’s founders, she joined as an early marketing manager and rose through the ranks of Google’s advertising business. For years, YouTube had expanded ferociously but struggled to become profitable. She’ll also take an advisory role, working across Google and parent Alphabet Inc.

Susan Wojcicki is stepping down as CEO at YouTube after spending nine years as the head of the platform. Neal Mohan will become YouTube's new CEO.

Neal will be a terrific leader for YouTube,” Wojcicki said. He came over to Google during the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007 and later became senior vice president of Display and Video Ads. “It would be one of the best decisions of my life.”

Hi YouTubers,. Twenty-five years ago I made the decision to join a couple of Stanford graduate students who were building a new search engine. Their names were ...

I also want to thank Larry and Sergey for inviting me on what has truly been the adventure of a lifetime. But for now, I want to thank Sundar for his leadership, support and vision over the years. 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. For all the YouTubers I’ve had the privilege to work with, you have done so much to make this platform better over the years. 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. I saw the potential of what they were building, which was incredibly exciting, and although the company had only a few users and no revenue, I decided to join the team.

YouTube chief executive Susan Wojcicki on Thursday announced she is stepping down from the top job at the world's largest video platform.

“Susan has a unique place in Google history and has made the most incredible contribution to products used by people everywhere,” Page and Brin said in a statement. YouTube has responded to the threat by creating its own short-form video product, called Shorts. She famously rented out her Menlo Park garage in 1998 to Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, joining the company a year later as employee number 16. “The time is right for me, and I feel able to do this because we have an incredible leadership team in place at YouTube.” YouTube, as well as other rivals, has also been trying to fend off the ascendency of TikTok. [Susan Wojcicki](https://www.forbes.com/profile/susan-wojcicki/?sh=7d36b88c3ae3) on Thursday [announced](https://blog.youtube/inside-youtube/a-personal-update-from-susan/) she is stepping down from the top job at the world’s largest video platform.

She was also sister-in-law to founder Sergey Brin for nearly a decade.

Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act — itself part of a broader telecom law — provides a legal “safe harbor” for internet companies — a protection that YouTube co-founders Chad Hurley and Steve Chen seized upon as an opportunity to launch as video site to “broadcast yourself.” Wojcicki’s departure comes at a time when YouTube is facing one of its most challenging periods since Google bought what was then a quirky video site facing widespread complaints about copyright infringement in 2006 for an announced price of $1.65 billion. Analysts are worried the slump will continue this year, one of the reasons Alphabet’s stock price has fallen by about 10% since it released its In 2006, Google bought Wojcicki’s home to serve as a monument to the roots of a company now valued at $1.2 trillion. Besides becoming a cultural phenomenon that attracts billions of viewers, YouTube also has become a financial success with ad revenue totaling $29 billion last year. Brin and Anne Wojcicki divorced in 2015.

One of Google's earliest employees, she rented out her garage to Larry Page and Sergey Brin when they founded the company.

[concerns](https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/jan/12/youtube-is-major-conduit-of-fake-news-factcheckers-say) about misinformation and hate speech on the platform. Wojcicki’s departure comes at a time when YouTube is facing one of its most challenging periods since Google bought what was then a quirky video site facing widespread complaints about copyright infringement in 2006 for an announced price of $1.65bn. Analysts are worried the slump will continue this year, one of the reasons Alphabet’s stock price has fallen 11% since it released its Wojcicki, 54, was previously a senior vice-president for ad products at Google and became CEO of YouTube in 2014. Besides becoming a cultural phenomenon that attracts billions of viewers, YouTube also has become a financial success with ad revenue totaling $29bn last year. Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal was also ousted in 2022 as part of the company’s acquisition by billionaire Elon Musk.

She made the announcement in a note to YouTube employees.

[$28.8 billion In 2021](https://fortune.com/ranking/most-powerful-women/2022/susan-wojcicki/). If it were a standalone company, YouTube would rank at number 121 on the [Fortune 500](https://fortune.com/fortune500/). Wojcicki took the opportunity in her resignation letter to thank Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai for his support. Wojcicki joined Google in 1999, and worked as the SVP of Adwords and AdSense before taking on her role as YouTube CEO. She added that she will help him with the transition, and she will be taking on an “advisory role” across Wojcicki will be replaced by Neal Mohan, who has been the YouTube’s chief product officer since 2015, and joined in 2007.

As for Wojcicki, she says that she'll take on an “advisory role” across Google and Alphabet, offering counsel and guidance. “I plan to support Neal and help ...