In the media industry’s latest executive shakeup, YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has announced she’s stepping down from her role after nine years.
Wojcicki broke the news to YouTube employees Thursday morning, stating in a blog post she has decided to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I'm passionate about.” Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer, will take up the mantle of CEO.
Wojcicki has spent over two decades at Google (almost since the company’s inception), joining YouTube as CEO in 2014. During her tenure, she managed marketing for Google, co-created Google Image Search and spearheaded Google’s acquisition of YouTube and DoubleClick.
Mohan, who came over to Google from DoubleClick back in 2007, became YouTube’s CPO in 2015.
“[Mohan] 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,” Wojcicki said in her blog post.
Wojcicki said she will stay on to help with the transition as well as continue working with YouTube teams, coaching team members and meeting with creators. In the longer term, she intends to take on an advisory role across Google and Alphabet.
Wojcicki’s exit comes shortly after Google reported an 8% drop in YouTube advertising revenue for the fourth quarter. The company attributed the decline to a broader pullback in ad spending. Despite lackluster ad sales, YouTube is eyeing Shorts as a vehicle for growth. The platform this month rolled out a revenue sharing model allowing creators to get paid for producing Shorts. Daily views of Shorts now surpass 50 billion, according to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
YouTube is also ramping up its streaming opportunities. The platform has scored the rights for the NFL Sunday Ticket and will exclusively stream the sports package on YouTube TV and YouTube Primetime Channels – YouTube’s new subscription streaming aggregator.
As for other corporate leadership changes, AMC Networks this week named longtime board member Kristin Dolan as the company’s new CEO. She is replacing former CEO Christina Spade, who stepped down from the role in November.
Most notable last year was when Disney CEO Bob Iger reclaimed his role as company chief. Speaking on an earnings call last week, Iger said there are business opportunities for Disney to license its IP to third parties – a strategy Iger’s predecessor Bob Chapek had typically moved away from.