Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai has revealed that former YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki, who died after suffering from lung cancer for two years, took him for ice cream and for a walk around the campus during a Google interview 20 years ago.
Recalling the days of joining Google, Mr Pichai said that he is very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Susan for so many years.
“Susan always put others first, in her values and in her day-to-day life. I will never forget the kindness she showed to me as a potential ‘Nugler’ 20 years ago,” Pichai wrote.
He added: “I became a fan of Google and Susan. Her team loved her dearly. Her life on earth was short, but she made every minute count.”
Mr Pichai described Susan’s death as “devastating for all of us who knew and loved her, for the thousands of Googlers she led over the years, and for the millions of people around the world who respected her” for the incredible work she did at Google, YouTube and beyond.
Susan was one of Google’s earliest employees and received the ‘Google Founder’s Award’ for creating AdSense, which helped Google’s advertising boom. Her tenure as YouTube CEO saw the platform grow into a global powerhouse, attracting millions of content creators and billions of viewers.
Mr Pichai said Susan’s journey, from a rented garage to working with Larry Page and Sergey Brin (founders of Google), leading teams in consumer products and building an advertising business to becoming CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s most important platforms, is “inspirational in every sense of the word”.
But she didn’t stop there. As one of the earliest Googlers – and the first to take maternity leave – Susan used her position to create a better workplace for everyone.
In the years that followed, her advocacy for parental leave set a new standard for businesses everywhere. Susan was also very passionate about education.
Over the past two years, Susan has dedicated herself to improving the world through her philanthropy, including supporting research into the disease that ultimately took her life.
“I know this was very meaningful to her, and I’m glad she made the time to do this,” Pichai said, adding: “Let’s honor Susan’s memory by continuing to build a Google she would be proud of.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
