Susan Wojcicki, former YouTube CEO and someone who was played a part in Google’s earliest days, has passed away after a two-year battle with cancer.
Wojcicki surprised the industry when she resigned as CEO of YouTube in early 2023. When she resigned, Wojcicki was the last female CEO among Big Tech companies. At the time, she said her decision was to “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects I’m passionate about,” but provided little additional detail.
Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai sent a note to employees Saturday evening to inform them of Wojcicki’s passing. The note was later posted on Google’s site.
By now you may have heard the news that Susan Wojcicki has passed away after two years of living with lung cancer. Even as I write this it feels impossible to me that it’s true. Susan was one of the most active and vibrant people I have ever met. Her loss is devastating for all of us who know and love her, for the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and for millions of people all over the world 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.
Pichai goes on to highlight Wojcicki’s long history with Google, from renting a garage to founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin, to eventually becoming YouTube CEO, a position she held for nearly a decade. Pichai also emphasized the outstanding work Wojcicki did to improve the workplace for women.
Susan’s journey, from the garage she rented to Larry and Sergey … to leading teams across consumer products and building our Ads business … to becoming the CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s most significant platforms, is inspiring by any measure. But she didn’t stop there. As one of the earliest Googlers — and the first to take maternity leave — Susan used her position to build a better workplace for everyone. And in the years that followed, her advocacy around parental leave set a new standard for businesses everywhere. Susan was also deeply passionate about education. She realized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world and championed “edutubers” — especially those who extended the reach of STEM education to underserved communities.
Pichai also related a personal experience with Wojcicki that showed the kind of person she was.
Susan always put others first, both in her values and in the day to day. I’ll never forget her kindness to me as a prospective “Noogler” 20 years ago. During my Google interview she took me out for an ice cream and a walk around campus. I was sold – on Google and Susan.
I feel so fortunate to have spent so many years working with Susan closely, as I’m sure many of you do — she was absolutely loved by her teams here. Her time on earth was far too short, but she made every minute count.
The tech industry has lost a real gem with Wojcicki’s passing, and her absence will certainly be felt.
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