Anika Begay
Googlers,
By now, you may have heard the news that Susan Wojcicki has died after two years of living with lung cancer. Even as I write this, it seems impossible that this is true. Susan was one of the most vibrant and vibrant people I have ever met. Her loss is devastating to all of us who knew and loved her, to the thousands of Googlers she mentored over the years, and to the millions of people around the world who admired her, benefited from her support and leadership, and felt the impact of the incredible things she created at Google, YouTube, and beyond.
Susan’s journey from renting a garage to Larry and Sergey… to leading consumer products teams and building our advertising business… to becoming the CEO of YouTube, one of the world’s leading platforms, is inspiring by any measure. But she didn’t stop there. As one of the first Googlers, and the first to take maternity leave, Susan used her position to create a better workplace for everyone. And in the years since, her advocacy for parental leave has set a new standard for companies around the world. Susan was also deeply passionate about education. She realized early on that YouTube could be a learning platform for the world, and championed “edutubers,” especially those who were extending the reach of STEM education to underserved communities.
Over the past two years, despite great personal hardship, Susan has dedicated herself to making the world a better place through her philanthropy, including supporting research into the disease that ultimately took her life. I know it has meant a lot to her and I am so glad she took the time to do it.
Susan always put others first, both in her values and in her day-to-day life. I will never forget her kindness to me as a potential “Noogler” 20 years ago. During my job interview at Google, she took me for ice cream and a tour of the campus. I was sold – on Google and on Susan.
I feel so fortunate to have spent so many years working closely with Susan, as I’m sure many of you do – she was absolutely beloved by her teams here. Her time on earth was far too short, but she made every minute count.
We’re in close contact with Susan’s family, including her husband and fellow Googler, Dennis. We’ll share more soon about how we’ll celebrate her incredible life. In the meantime, let’s honor Susan’s memory by continuing to build a Google she’d be proud of.
-Survey
