YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki steps down after nine years

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Susan Wojcicki is stepping down as CEO of YouTube after nine years at the helm and nearly 25 years with Google. In a note sent to YouTube employees, Wojcicki reflected on her career with Google and the many hats she has worn including managing marketing, co-creating Google Image Search, working on the DoubleClick and YouTube acquisitions, serving as SVP of Ads, leading Google's first Book and Video search and most recently, running YouTube. She also helped to spearhead the regular use of Google Doodles.

"It's been exhilarating, meaningful, and all-consuming," she added.

Wojcicki joined Google in the very early days. In fact, she allowed co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page to set up their office in her garage. Accounts vary but most agree that she ended up being among the first 20 people employed by Google.

Now at the age of 54, Wojcicki has decided to step back and start a new chapter in her life that focuses on family, health and personal projects she is passionate about.

Moving forward, Neal Mohan will serve as the new head of YouTube. Mohan joined Google in 2007 as part of the DoubleClick acquisition and accepted the position of chief product officer for YouTube in 2015. He has played a major role in some of YouTube's biggest products in recent years including YouTube TV, YouTube Premium and YouTube Music.

In the short term, Wojcicki will assist Mohan with the transition of power. In the longer term, she has agreed to serve in an advisory role across Alphabet and Google. This, she said, will allow her to offer guidance across the portfolio of Alphabet companies based on her many years of experience.

Wojcicki said it is an incredibly important time for Google right now – one that reminds her of earlier days filled with huge opportunities, incredible product and technology innovation, and a healthy disregard for the impossible. She is confident that with Mohan sailing the ship, YouTube as a whole is in good hands.

Image credit: Kancelaria Premiera

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97650-youtube-ceo-susan-wojcicki-steps-down-after-nine.html

 

[m4a4]

And here's to hoping that she was worse than the eventual new CEO.

Which, as some people I've seen cover this have pointed out, easy to get off on the right foot by reversing the dislike removal...

 

[Nobina]

What have they done with YouTube lately? I can only think of pushing more ads before and during the videos, some minor UI things and most notably banning people left and right with that disgusting abomination of an algorithm they use that gets everything wrong.

 

[veLa]

Worst CEO ever.

 

[Uncle Al]

She did just about everything possible to ruin Youtube ..... hopefully the new guy can get it back on track, starting with actually listening to the users and not just paying lip service .....

 

[letsgoiowa]

I've heard rumblings that the new CEO is much worse.

 

[winjer]

Good riddance...

 

[Bl00dyMinded]

Do people really still use Youtube as much? Everything is just ads now, and if the video isn't to their standard or liking they will just take it down. Switch to Rumble or another platform which isn't so controlled.

 

[toooooot]

Do people really still use Youtube as much? Everything is just ads now, and if the video isn't to their standard or liking they will just take it down. Switch to Rumble or another platform which isn't so controlled.

What ad? I haven't seen an ad in years with adblock.
Twitch however...Those malicious m****s use some very complex system that interrupts connection
when you use adblocks. I tried multiple adblocks on twitch and no luck.
The only workaround I am using now is opening a stream and switching to another tab until the ad will end. It is so much more set on feeding you an ad than YT.

 

[scavengerspc]

I'm not even going to read the comments for now, but let me guess.

She was terrible, she did a terrible job, and she didn't have a clue how to do her job.................. For 9 years.

 

[someOtherGuy]

I'm not even going to read the comments for now, but let me guess.

She was terrible, she did a terrible job, and she didn't have a clue how to do her job.................. For 9 years.

YouTube went from THE site to host/consume videos to the site that a lot of content creators are trying to run away from. Like Disney, it won't "hit them" until the numbers go red, but I'm not sure if that would even happen to YouTube. I, personally, just use it for its original intent: to watch cat videos, anything "serious" I would look somewhere else. Locals/Rumble are a good place, if your creators happen to use them.

 

[Plutoisaplanet]

I've heard rumblings that the new CEO is much worse.

I believe it, I’m kinda expecting worse.

Do people really still use Youtube as much? Everything is just ads now, and if the video isn't to their standard or liking they will just take it down. Switch to Rumble or another platform which isn't so controlled.

Generally 5-15 second ads, and how aggressive definitely depends on the creator. I’ve definitely seem conservatives affected more by censorship, but specifically politics, news, and current events. And I’d be happy to switch over to Rumble, but plenty of other creators I follow don’t have accounts there, most importantly for me, MKBHD, Vlog Creations, and Tesla Daily.

 

[scavengerspc]

YouTube went from THE site to host/consume videos to the site that a lot of content creators are trying to run away from. Like Disney, it won't "hit them" until the numbers go red, but I'm not sure if that would even happen to YouTube. I, personally, just use it for its original intent: to watch cat videos, anything "serious" I would look somewhere else. Locals/Rumble are a good place, if your creators happen to use them.

Well damn. I didn't know that. Thanks for the info man.
Sorry for the sarcastic assumption folks.

 

[Srksi]

"Susan Wojcicki is stepping down as CEO of YouTube after nine years at the helm"
Please let is be that they fired her cos terrible YT interface!

 

[skuff]

I've heard rumblings that the new CEO is much worse.

Yep. He was previously CPO and he was pushing for NFTs..

 

[rsmith222]

I remember when YouTube had no ads.

None.

Zero.

I also remember when YouTube didn't have people making stupid faces all over on the main page.