Anamika Dey, editor
Brief news
- Susan Wojcicki, former YouTube CEO and influential early Google employee, has passed away at the age of 56 after a battle with non-small cell lung cancer.
- Wojcicki served as the CEO of YouTube for nearly a decade and was one of the few women in a leadership position at a major technology company in Silicon Valley.
- She played a key role in the growth of Google’s advertising business and was instrumental in the acquisition of YouTube by Google.
Detailed news
According to posts shared online by her spouse Dennis Troper and Google CEO Sundar Pichai on Friday night, Susan Wojcicki, who was also one of the most influential early Google employees and former YouTube CEO, passed away at the age of 56.
For nearly a decade, Wojicki served as the CEO of YouTube and was one of the few women to occupy this position at a major technology company in Silicon Valley.
Dennis Troper, Wojcicki’s spouse, posted on Facebook during the early hours of Friday night, “It is with profound sadness that I inform you of Susan Wojcicki’s passing.” Today, my wife of 26 years and mother of our five children passed away after a two-year battle with non-small cell lung cancer.
In a post on social media on Friday, Pichai confirmed the death and cancer diagnosis, expressing his “unbelievably deep sorrow” over the loss.
Wojcicki was characterized by Pichai as “one of the most active and vibrant individuals I have ever encountered” in a memo that was distributed to employees. The loss of this individual is devastating for all of us who knew and loved her, for the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and for the millions of people worldwide who looked up to her, benefited from her advocacy and leadership, and felt the impact of the incredible things she created at Google, YouTube, and beyond.
“Susan’s journey, from the garage she rented to Larry and Sergey to her role as the CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s most significant platforms, is truly inspiring. She has led teams across consumer products and built our Ads business. However, she did not conclude her remarks. Susan utilized her position to establish a superior work environment for all, as she was among the first Googlers to take maternity leave. In the years that followed, her advocacy for parental leave established a new standard for businesses worldwide. Susan was also profoundly enthusiastic about education. She recognized from the outset that YouTube could serve as a global educational platform and advocated for “edutubers,” particularly those who expanded the scope of STEM education to underprivileged communities.
In 2014, Wojcicki, who is 56 years old, assumed the role of CEO at YouTube. She resigned from her position in February 2023, stating that she would continue to collaborate with YouTube teams, provide mentoring to members, and hold meetings with creators.
She is credited with the shepherding of some of Google’s most successful products and played a key role in the company’s transformation from its earliest days to a tech titan.
Upon establishing Google, she permitted Larry Page and Sergey Brin, the inventors of the company, to operate from her residence in Menlo Park, California. The garage space was rented by Page and Brin from her for $1,700 per month. At the time, Wojcicki was employed in Intel’s marketing department.
For 14 years, Wojcicki was responsible for the design and development of Google’s advertising and analytics products after becoming the company’s 16th employee in 1999. She played a critical role in the growth of Google’s advertising business, which included the co-creation of AdSense, one of the company’s most successful products.
When YouTube was acquired by Google for $1.65 billion in 2006, she was an advocate for the acquisition.
The 2022 book “Like, Comment, Subscribe: Inside YouTube’s Chaotic Rise to World Domination” quotes Patrick Keane, an early Google sales director, as saying, “The founders trust Susan maybe more than anybody on the planet.” “No matter how difficult the situation was, you could never frighten Susan.”
Kim Scott, a former Google director and early Silicon Valley workplace influencer, is referred to as “a Larry whisperer” in the book. She was able to persuade Larry Page, Google co-founder, to see reason when others were unable to.
Wojcicki served as the CEO of YouTube during her tenure, during which she supervised the company’s swift expansion, which contributed to its status as the world’s largest video platform. The company reports that YouTube has over 2.5 billion monthly active users and that over 500 hours of content are uploaded to the platform every minute.
On Friday evening, a diverse array of technology and venture capital leaders expressed their condolences in response to the news of her passing.
Neal Mohan, the current CEO of YouTube, wrote in a social media post on Friday night, “I had the good fortune of meeting Susan 17 years ago when she was the architect of the DoubleClick acquisition.” “Her legacy endures in all that she has accomplished at YouTube and Google.”
Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta, stated in a social media post, “She taught me the business and helped me navigate a growing, fairly chaotic organization at the beginning of my career in tech…” “She was dedicated to enhancing the opportunities for women in Silicon Valley, as she was the first woman to lead a major company and one of the most significant women in technology.” I am convinced that my career would not have progressed as far as it has without her unwavering encouragement.
“I am profoundly saddened by the passing of my dear colleague and friend @SusanWojcicki,” wrote Google chief scientist Jeff Dean on social media Friday night. “She has had a significant impact on the lives of numerous individuals and has had a profound influence on everyone at Google.”
Source : CNBC News
