A changing of the guard is coming at YouTube, with CEO Susan Wojcicki stepping down, to be replaced by current YouTube SVP Neal Mohan at the helm of the app.
Wojcicki was one of Google’s first employees, joining the company in its early stages, before taking on various leadership positions across the business.
As explained by Wojcicki:
“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. The time is right for me, and I feel able to do this because we have an incredible leadership team in place at YouTube.
Wojcicki has overseen a period of massive growth for the app, which has added a billion users since she took on the role in 2014. Wojcicki has also played a key role in building out the platform’s creator monetization system, via the YouTube Partner Program, which now pays out over $10 billion to creators every year.
Mohan, meanwhile, has served as YouTube’s SVP for the last seven years, and is highly attuned to Wojcicki’s vision for the app. Given this, from a practical standpoint, there’s unlikely to be a significant shift in direction under the incoming chief, but there will be some new policy directions and changes as a result of the coming shift.
One of YouTube’s biggest focal points moving forward is Shorts, and maximizing its short-form video offering. Shorts are now viewed in the app over 50 billion times per day, and with the threat of a full ban in the US looming over TikTok, YouTube could well be the platform that wins out, if any such restriction occurs.
With that, you can expect Shorts to get more attention moving forward, as Mohan looks to merge into the new role, and take on the next chapter of the app.