Susan Wojcicki, the influential tech leader known for her significant contributions to Google and YouTube, has passed away at the age of 56, as confirmed by her husband.
Wojcicki was instrumental in the development of Google’s early operations and served as the CEO of YouTube for nine years before resigning last year to dedicate more time to her family, health, and personal interests.
She was widely admired as a prominent female figure in the predominantly male tech landscape. Her partnership with Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin began shortly after they established their search engine as a business in 1998 when she rented out her Menlo Park garage to them. This arrangement laid the foundation for Google’s growth as they spent five months building their search engine there before expanding to a more formal setting, eventually inviting Wojcicki to join their team.
In a heartfelt message to employees, Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai expressed deep sorrow over her passing, noting the profound impact she had on thousands of employees and millions worldwide who benefited from her leadership and vision.
Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Facebook and former vice president of Google’s sales and operations, acknowledged Wojcicki’s pivotal role in her career. In a post, she shared that Wojcicki was a mentor who guided her through the complexities of the tech industry.
Her husband, Dennis Troper, shared the news of her death in a social media post on Friday, revealing that she had been battling non-small cell lung cancer for two years. He described her as not only a loving wife and mother but also a brilliant individual and cherished friend to many.
Additional details surrounding her passing have yet to be released.
Wojcicki’s family is still mourning the loss of their son, Marco Troper, who died in February while attending the University of California, Berkeley.