Who is the Current YouTube CEO? Meet Neal Mohan

Neal Mohan, who became the CEO of YouTube more than a year ago, now faces his role without his mentor. Susan Wojcicki, who stepped down as YouTube’s CEO in February 2023 and became an advisor, died on Friday. She had been with Google since 1999. Reflecting on her legacy, Mohan posted on social media, “Her legacy lives on in everything she touched @google and @youtube.”

He added, “I am forever grateful for her friendship and guidance. I will miss her tremendously. My heart goes out to her family and loved ones.”

Originally from Indiana, Mohan spent his childhood partly in India and discussed his career in technology during an October 2023 interview at Stanford University. He shared anecdotes about his father’s journey to the United States, aiming to earn a doctorate at Purdue University. His father landed in the U.S. with only $25 and aimed to build a future from there.

Mohan’s family later moved back to India during his high school years, an experience he credits with shaping his career. Embracing change became a recurring theme in his life. He spoke about adapting to new languages and cultures, specifically learning nine years of Hindi and Sanskrit in a short span.

Graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Stanford in 1996, Mohan returned in 2003 to earn a Master of Business Administration in General Management. His career journey at Google began with the DoubleClick acquisition in 2007, where he served as senior vice president of display and video ads.

His roles at Google often involved strategizing with YouTube’s founding team to integrate search and non-search advertising. This experience prepared him for his role as YouTube’s CEO. In 2015, he became YouTube’s Chief Product Officer. When Wojcicki stepped down in 2023 to focus on her family and personal projects, Mohan was promoted to CEO.

Reflecting on his role, Mohan emphasizes the importance of the YouTube ecosystem, which includes 2 billion users and tens of millions of creators, partners, and advertisers. “I spend a lot of time with our creators,” he noted. “It’s about making sure I’m the steward of this vast ecosystem.”

The tech community recently mourned the loss of Susan Wojcicki, the former CEO of YouTube. Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 and played a crucial role long before it acquired YouTube. Her husband, Dennis Troper, shared the news of her passing on social media, revealing she lost her battle with lung cancer.

“It is with profound sadness that I share the news of Susan Wojcicki passing,” wrote Troper. “My beloved wife of 26 years and mother to our five children left us today after 2 years of living with non-small cell lung cancer.”

Among her survivors are her husband and four children. The family had already faced the heartbreak of losing one son, Marco Troper, earlier this year.

“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,” Troper continued. “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.”