Googlers,
By now you may have heard the news that Susan Wojcicki passed away after a two-year battle with lung cancer. Even as I write this, I feel like this can’t be true. Susan is one of the most active and energetic people I have ever met. Her passing is a profound moment for all of us who knew and loved her, for the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and for the millions around the world who respected her, benefited from her advocacy and leadership, and felt her impact. It’s devastating to anyone who’s planning.
Susan’s journey, from the garage she rented to Larry and Sergey… to leading teams in consumer products and building our advertising business… to becoming the CEO of one of the most important platforms in the world, YouTube, has been anything but All perspectives are inspiring. But she didn’t stop there. As one of the first Googlers and the first to take maternity leave, Susan used her position to build a better workplace for everyone. In the years that followed, her advocacy for parental leave set new standards for businesses around the world. Susan is also passionate about education. She recognized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world and championed “educators,” especially those who expand the impact of STEM education to underserved communities.
Over the past two years, despite facing tremendous personal difficulties, Susan remained committed to making the world a better place through philanthropy, including supporting research into the disease that ultimately took her life. I know it means a lot to her and I’m glad she took the time to do it.
Susan always put others first, both in her values and in her daily life. I will never forget her kindness to me as a future “Noogler” 20 years ago. During my Google interview, she took me out for ice cream and a walk around campus. I was convinced by Google and Susan.
I feel extremely lucky to have worked closely with Susan for so many years, as I’m sure many of you do too – she is absolutely loved by her team. Her time on earth was too short, but she cherished every minute.
We are in close contact with Susan’s family, including her husband and Google colleague Dennis. We will share more about how to celebrate her incredible life soon. In the meantime, let’s honor Susan’s memory by continuing to build a Google she would be proud of.
-Sundar
