Susan Wojcicki, a trailblazer within the tech business who served as YouTube’s Chief Govt Officer (CEO) for practically 10 years, handed away on Friday (August 9). Information of her demise was confirmed by her husband, Dennis Troper, by way of social media. The reason for demise was non-small cell lung most cancers, which she had fought for 2 years. She was 56.
Troper wrote, “It’s with profound disappointment that I share the information of Susan Wojcicki’s passing. My beloved spouse of 26 years and mom to our 5 youngsters left us at present after 2 years of dwelling with non-small cell lung most cancers. Susan was not simply my finest good friend and associate in life however a superb thoughts, a loving mom, and a pricey good friend to many. Her impression on our household and the world was immeasurable. We’re heartbroken however grateful for the time we had together with her. Please preserve our household in your ideas as we navigate this tough time.”
Wojcicki was born in Santa Clara, California, on July 5, 1968. Her father, Stanley Wojcicki, was a physics professor at Stanford and her mom, Esther Wojcicki, was a instructor. She graduated from Harvard in 1990 with a bachelor’s diploma in historical past and literature earlier than incomes a grasp’s in economics on the College of California, Santa Cruz in 1993. She acquired an MBA from the UCLA Anderson Faculty of Administration in 1998. Wojcicki married Troper, who presently works at Google as a director of product administration, on Aug. 23, 1998.
Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 as one of many firm’s first 20 staff and performed a vital function within the firm’s billion-dollar acquisition of YouTube in 2006. She grew to become YouTube’s CEO in 2014, overseeing the platform’s huge world growth, together with the introduction of YouTube TV and the event of Google’s picture search.
Below her management, YouTube landed licensing offers throughout the music business and efficiently launched YouTube Music and YouTube Premium in 2018. Common Music Group’s (UMG) Sir Lucian Grainge personally congratulated Wojcicki when YouTube Music reached 50 million subscribers in 2021.
Wojcicki labored carefully with Robert Kyncl, now CEO of Warner Music Group, and performed a vital function in bringing Lyor Cohen on board as International Head of Music at YouTube in 2016. Right now, YouTube Music and YouTube Premium have over 100 million paying subscribers globally, making YouTube the second-largest industrial associate of music rightsholders. YouTube aspires to grow to be the No.1 associate within the business.
Tributes poured in from across the business. You’ll be able to learn some under.
Melinda Gates by way of X: “Susan Wojcicki broke the mould. She was a visionary chief who deliberately pried open doorways for the numerous younger ladies who’ve adopted her footsteps – and she or he stays a task mannequin for individuals of all backgrounds who dream of careers in tech as significant and impactful as hers.”
Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google and Alphabet: “Unbelievably saddened by the lack of my pricey good friend @SusanWojcicki after two years of dwelling with most cancers. She is as core to the historical past of Google as anybody, and it’s exhausting to think about the world with out her. She was an unbelievable particular person, chief and good friend who had an incredible impression on the world, and I’m certainly one of numerous Googlers who is healthier for understanding her. We’ll miss her dearly. Our ideas together with her household. RIP Susan.”
Wojcicki is preceded in demise by her son Marco. She leaves behind her husband and 4 youngsters.
RIP.