Calay News
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who has been leading the platform since 2014, will be stepping down and will be replaced by Neal Mohan, YouTube’s chief product officer. Several creators and industry executives have shared their thoughts on the news. Industry experts believe Wojcicki played a key role in creating the content creator economy on YouTube, establishing a monetization model for competitive creators, and conducting direct interactions with them, such as giving Ludwig the golden play button. Alessandro Bogliari, CEO and co-founder of The Influencer Marketing Factory, said Wojcicki has always understood the importance of content creators on YouTube, and they are interested to see the next moves under Mohan’s new leadership.
Wojcicki’s departure marks a new era for YouTube at a time when the platform is facing major challenges, including competition with TikTok for the short-form video audience and YouTube’s 2% year-over-year revenue decline in the third quarter, which has contributed to Google’s overall advertising slowdown. Jon Youshaei, a content creator and former YouTube staffer, recalls that there was once a big effort to encourage the platform’s workers to create and upload more content to better understand creators, which is a testament to the general behavior Wojcicki instituted at the company.
Jake Webb, president and co-founder of Slash Management, sees Wojcicki’s departure as a true changing of the guard that marks the beginning of a new era for YouTube and content consumption in general. Lauren Schnipper, vice president of corporate development at Jellysmack, notes that some of the most powerful women at major tech platforms have left their positions in the last year, representing the end of an era.
Looking ahead, some expect Neal Mohan to continue to invest in new tools for creators, including expanding globalized content. Farbod Mansorian, founder and CEO of Unilingo, a company that works with creators to translate their videos and launch new channels in specific languages, predicts that Mohan’s leadership will bring more opportunities for content creators around the world.
