Susan Wojcicki was born on July 5, 1968, in Santa Clara County, California. Wojcicki to a family with a strong academic background. Her father is a Polish American physics professor at Stanford University, and her mother, Esther is a Russian Jewish journalist.
Wojcicki attended Gunn High School in Palo Alto, California, where she showed a keen interest in math and science. (Her neighbour was the famous mathematician, George Dantzig.) She earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Literature from Harvard University and went on to receive her MS in economics in 1993 from the University of California Santa Cruz and an MBA in 1998 from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.
In 1999, Susan joined Google as its first marketing manager and played a pivotal role in the company’s early growth. She was responsible for the development of Google’s advertising and analytic products, including AdWords and AdSense. Additionally, she was involved in the acquisition of YouTube by Google in 2006, a decision that would later prove to be highly successful.
In February 2014, Susan Wojcicki was appointed as the CEO of YouTube, becoming the first woman to lead the video-sharing platform. Under her leadership, YouTube experienced significant growth, with billions of users and a wide range of content creators across various genres. She served in that capacity until resigning in February 2023.
Wojcicki has been recognized for her contributions to the technology industry, and In 2019, she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and was also listed on Forbes’ list of the world’s most powerful women. She is known for advocating free speech on YouTube while balancing it with the need to address concerns about content moderation and platform responsibility.
Beyond her role at YouTube, Wojcicki has been involved in various philanthropic endeavors, supporting initiatives focused on education and girls’ empowerment. Susan has also been an advocate for paid maternity leave and parental leave policies.
Susan Wojcicki is considered a prominent figure in the tech industry, particularly in the realm of online video and content creation. Her leadership at YouTube has shaped the platform’s direction and influence, making her a key player in the digital landscape. In 2022, Susan’s net worth was estimated at $765 million.