YouTube Chief Executive and one of the first Google employees, Susan Wojcicki, has stepped down from her role, she said in a personal update on the video-sharing platform on Thursday, February 16.
Wojcicki, 54 who started work at the tech giant in her garage nearly 25 years ago, ‘will be replaced by her deputy Neal Mohan, a senior advertising and product executive who joined Google in 2008,’ she said.
Before Google, Wojcicki worked at Intel and Bain & Company.
The change comes as YouTube’s advertising revenue fell for the second straight quarter amid intense competition for viewing time with video services such as TikTok and Facebook‘s Reels, and streaming services like Netflix.
Mohan, was appointed chief product officer at YouTube in 2015. He focused on building YouTube Shorts, Music and subscription offerings in 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,’ said Wojcicki.’
Wojcicki will also be remembered as Google’s first landlord.
She was previously senior vice president for ad products at Google and became the CEO of YouTube in 2014.
She said she would stay with YouTube temporarily to aid in the transition of leadership, and in the longer term has agreed with CEO Sundar Pichai to take an advisory role across Google and Alphabet, offering ‘counsel and guidance’.
‘It would be one of the best decisions of my life,’ Wojcicki wrote in the announcement of her departure.
