CEO Series: Susan Wojcicki, YouTube
Susan Wojcicki didn’t just lead YouTube—she shaped the digital age. From being Google’s 16th employee to orchestrating YouTube’s $1.65 billion acquisition, her vision transformed the platform into a global powerhouse.
In this episode of Billion Dollar Moves CEO Series, we honor Susan’s legacy—from her groundbreaking leadership in tech to her unwavering commitment to innovation. As we reflect on her impact, her story remains a masterclass in bold decision-making, resilience, and the power of long-term vision.
Timestamps / Key Takeaways
0:00 - Intro
03:35 - Key Takeaways #1: Spotting Unconventional Opportunities
06:49 - Key Takeaways #2: Navigating Controversy with Strategy and Empathy
09:51 - Key Takeaways #3: Empowering Others to Succeed
12:20 - Key Takeaways #4: Balancing Personal Challenges with Professional Resilience
14:41 - Key Takeaways #5: Betting on Long-Term Growth and Building Stakeholder Buy-In
18:18 - Mental Models to Think, Lead, Invest and Build Like Susan Wojcicki
Sources:
A conversation with YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki
Susan Wojcicki on: How to Avoid Burnout In A Leadership Role & Learning To Celebrate the Small Wins
YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki on Recode Decode
Davos Annual Meeting 2022 - A Conversation with Susan Wojcicki, CEO of YouTube
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Mental Models to Think, Lead, Invest and Build Like Susan Wojcicki
- Bet on Emerging Trends: What underexplored ideas or industries have the potential to reshape their markets? Start small but think big.
- Lead Through Crisis: What controversies or challenges are you avoiding? Instead of dodging them, how can you turn them into opportunities for transformation?
- Invest in Others: Your success is amplified when you lift others. How can you create pathways for others to succeed while aligning with your organization’s goals?
- Resilience in Vulnerability: Personal challenges can shape leadership. How can you embrace and grow through them?
- Stakeholder buy-in: How can you recruit the right people around you early in the process through what maybe controversial or nuanced decisions?
Susan Wojcicki’s tenure at YouTube is a masterclass in visionary leadership. Her ability to spot potential, navigate crises, and empower a global community of creators offers invaluable lessons for leaders in every field. While Susan may no longer be with us, her impact on the digital landscape—and the billion-dollar moves she made along the way—will continue to inspire for generations.
How has Susan Wojcicki’s leadership shaped your perspective on innovation and resilience? Let’s discuss.
Susan Wojcicki
Former CEO of YouTube
Susan Wojcicki, Former CEO of Alphabet subsidiary YouTube from 2014 until early 2023, died in August 2024 of lung cancer. She was 56.
Her son Marco died of a drug overdose in March at age 19. She is survived by her husband Dennis and four other children.
Wojcicki rented out her garage in Menlo Park, California to Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page in 1998.
She was hired in 1999 as Google employee number 16, and worked on everything from AdSense and Google Analytics to Google Books and Google Images. Before Google, Wojcicki worked in the marketing department at Intel and as a management consultant at Bain & Company.
In 2006, she advocated for the $1.65 billion acquisition by Google of YouTube, which has grown to 2.5 billion monthly viewers.
Her net worth was estimated at $765 million in 2022.