Googlers,
You may have heard by now that Susan Wojcicki has passed away two years after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Even as I write this, it seems impossible that this could be true. Susan was one of the most dynamic and energetic people I have ever met. Her loss is devastating to all of us who knew and loved her, to the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and to the millions of people around the world who looked up to her, benefited from her advocacy and leadership, and felt the impact of the amazing things she built at Google, YouTube, and beyond.
Susan’s journey, from a garage she rented to Larry and Sergey… to leading teams across consumer products and building our advertising business… to becoming CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s most important platforms, was inspiring by any measure. But she didn’t stop there. As one of Google’s first employees—and the first to take maternity leave—Susan used her position to build a better workplace for everyone. In the years since, her advocacy for parental leave has set a new standard for businesses everywhere. Susan was also deeply passionate about education. She recognized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world and championed “educational YouTubers”—particularly those who expanded STEM education to underserved communities.
Over the past two years, despite great personal difficulties, Susan has dedicated herself to improving the world through her charitable work, including supporting research into the disease that ultimately took her life. I know this was very meaningful to her, and I am so glad she took the time to do so.
Susan always put others first, both in her values and in her daily life. I will never forget her kindness to me when I was a candidate to join the Nogler team twenty years ago. During my interview at Google, she took me out for ice cream and a walk around campus. I was sold on Google and Susan.
I feel very fortunate to have spent so many years working closely with Susan, as I’m sure many of you do – her team here loved her so much. Her time on earth was so short, but she made the most of every minute.
We’re in close contact with Susan’s family, including her husband and fellow Googler, Dennis. We’ll share more soon about how we’re celebrating her incredible life. In the meantime, let’s honor Susan’s memory by continuing to build the Google she’d be proud of.
-Sundar
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”