Susan Wojcicki, who joined Google as its 16th employee and successfully served as YouTube’s CEO for many years, has passed away at the age of 56. The news of Wojcicki’s death was shared with the public by her husband Dennis Troper and Google CEO Sundar Pichai. According to Pichai’s statement, Wojcicki had been battling non-small cell lung cancer for two years.
Wojcicki left an unforgettable mark on the tech world when she joined Google in 1998. She became the CEO of YouTube in 2014 and continued in this role until February 2023. However, she left her position to focus on her family, health and personal projects. Unfortunately, Wojcicki also lost her son earlier this year.
In 2014, Wojcicki was recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in the world. Playing a major role in Google’s growth and shaping the digital world, Wojcicki transformed YouTube into a platform where a new generation of celebrities and influencers emerged. YouTube’s success was due to Wojcicki’s vision and leadership.
Wojcicki has been regarded as one of the most powerful women at Google throughout her career. Reporting directly to Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, Wojcicki played an active role in the company’s critical decisions. In 2011, the San Jose Mercury News reported that Wojcicki convinced the Google board to purchase YouTube.
One of her most important contributions was building Google’s massive advertising business. Wojcicki, who helped create AdSense, also oversaw Google’s 2007 acquisition of DoubleClick, a purchase that is considered a cornerstone of Google’s dominance in advertising. Google is currently facing an antitrust lawsuit from the U.S. Department of Justice over claims of a monopoly in the digital advertising market.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai paid tribute to Wojcicki’s employees following her passing. Pichai emphasized that Wojcicki was not only a leader but also an ambassador of goodness at the company. Pichai noted that Wojcicki’s advocacy for parental leave set a new standard in business and that her passion for education transformed YouTube into a learning platform.
Despite facing a difficult personal struggle over the last two years, Wojcicki has continued her lifelong mission to help others and make the world a better place, making significant contributions to this field through her support of cancer research.
Wojcicki touched the lives of so many people and inspired so many throughout her time at Google. In her memory, Googlers said they will continue their work to honor her legacy.