Former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki has recently passed away after a battle with lung cancer, but leaves a strong legacy as an influential figure in tech, as well as a steadfast advocate of literacy programs.
Susan Wojcicki, one of Silicon Valley’s most influential female figures, has recently passed away at the age of 56. A trailblazer in every way, the former Google employee and YouTube CEO helped pave the way for women in the tech industry, setting a new standard for excellence and service that many will remember her for. Her husband, Dennis Troper, announced her passing through a public Facebook post on August 10, 2024.
“My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after two years of living with non-small cell lung cancer. Susan was not just my best friend and partner in life, but a brilliant mind, a loving mother, and a dear friend to many. Her impact on our family and the world was immeasurable,” he writes. “We are heartbroken, but grateful for the time we had with her. Please keep our family in your thoughts as we navigate this difficult time.”
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Impactful Leadership
Besides being the former CEO of popular video streaming platform YouTube (a position that she assumed in February 2014 and held for nine years), Wojcicki was also among Google’s oldest employees. The 16th member of its team, which she joined in 1999 according to Todd Spangler of Variety, it was her garage in Menlo Park, California that would become the place of operations for Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin before they were able to secure an office space.
By 2006, she had not only led the launch of Google Video, but also helped the company acquire the video-upload website, YouTube (for $1.65 billion), Spangler adds in the Variety feature. Wojcicki’s accomplishments are no small feat in the tech industry, which has long been dominated by male professionals. As BBC’s Dearbail Jordan points out, the former YouTube CEO was fully aware of this reality, expressing once in a 2013 interview that she hoped more girls would enter the field given the increasingly digital landscape at the time. She was also very vocal in her advocacy of providing women employees with proper maternity leave.
Wojcicki continued to lead as YouTube’s CEO in a period where the platform experienced immense growth. She eventually stepped down in 2023, announcing her decision through an official blog post: “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.”
An Advocate For Literacy
Given the nature of Google as the search engine that democratizes information and continues to freely provide it in a way no other company has, it comes as no surprise that Wojcicki was a strong advocate for literacy programs. In 2015, Variety spotlighted her as a “Power of Women” honoree for her work in supporting the organization Room to Read. The nonprofit aims to curb illiteracy around the world by providing educational opportunities to children, and closing the gender gap with an equal focus on young girls and women.
“Literacy is such an important skill for everyone in the world, and it’s a shame that we have illiterate people today,” she explained in the Variety feature. “Girls who are in the program are usually the first people in their family who have ever checked out a book from a library or are the first people in their family to go onto secondary school and to universities.”
Remembering A Tech Giant
A number of fellow tech giants in the industry mourned Wojcicki’s passing, taking to social media to remember her storied legacy. Tim Cooke, the current Apple CEO, wrote in an X post: “Saddened to hear of the passing of Susan Wojcicki. She was one of Silicon Valley’s visionaries and she will be missed by so many. May she rest in peace.”
Meanwhile, Neal Mohan, the head of YouTube, also wrote an X post honoring his predecessor’s accomplishments: “I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance. I will miss her tremendously. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.”
Even famous YouTubers, writers, and online personalities John and Hank Green (who themselves had changed the learning landscape through accessible educational videos), paid tribute to the late tech leader. “People feel like the structure of the world is inevitable, but it is built by people and what y’all built under Susan’s quiet leadership in a ridiculously complex environment is extremely special […] I’m so sad to have lost her,” Hank writes in an X post.
“She was (very quietly) the single biggest donor to our project supporting maternal health in Sierra Leone,” John adds in another X post. “She never once asked for credit or attention for her gifts–just privately supported our project and many others. An exceptional leader and person.”
Wojcicki may be the best person to capture the spirit of her legacy through what sh wrote in her 2023 farewell post: “I took on each challenge that came my way because it had a mission that benefited so many people’s lives around the world: finding information, telling stories and supporting creators, artists, and small businesses. I’m so proud of everything we’ve achieved. It’s been exhilarating, meaningful, and all-consuming.”
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