Susan Wojcicki, the chief executive officer of Google-owned YouTube, has announced plans to step down from her role.

In a letter sent to employees on Thursday morning, Wojcicki confirmed her plans to depart and “start a new chapter focused on my family, health, and personal projects.” She will take on an advisory role at Google parent company Alphabet.

Wojcicki was one of Google’s first employees, joining 'a couple of Stanford graduate students who were building a new search engine' 25 years ago. She took up the mantle of YouTube’s first chief exec in 2013, a role which propelled her to becoming one of the most influential women in technology.

Concluding her letter, she wrote: “I always dreamed of working for a company with a mission that could change the world for the better. Thanks to you and your vision, I got the chance to live that dream. It has been an absolute privilege to be a part of it, and I’m excited for what’s next.”

Wojcicki’s departure comes at a time of difficulty for YouTube, with the company’s ad revenue falling for two straight quarters. While still the world’s leading video platform, it is increasingly facing competition for viewing time from short-form video app TikTok and video streaming services like Netflix and Disney+.

The executive will be replaced by Neal Mohan, a YouTube veteran of 15 years who currently serves as YouTube’s chief product officer – a role he has held since 2015. He joined Google from DoubleClick when the ad firm was acquired in 2008. He subsequently served as senior vice president of display and video advertising at Google for eight years

Of Mohan, Wojcicki wrote “I’ve spent nearly 15 years of my career working with Neal, first when he came over to Google with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007 and as his role grew to become SVP of Display and Video Ads. He became YouTube’s chief product officer in 2015.

“Since then, he has set up a top-notch product and UX team, played pivotal roles in the launch of some of our biggest products, including YouTube TV, YouTube Music and Premium and Shorts, and has led our Trust and Safety team, ensuring that YouTube lives up to its responsibility as a global platform. He has a wonderful sense for our product, our business, our creator and user communities, and our employees. Neal will be a terrific leader for YouTube.”

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