Google names YouTube CEO

Online search giant Google has appointed longtime advertising exec Susan Wojcicki as its new head of YouTube.

Wojcicki is replacing Salar Kamangar, who held the post of senior VP of YouTube and video since October 2010.

Google CEO Larry Page said in a statement: “Salar and the whole YouTube team have built something amazing. YouTube is a billion-person global community curating videos for every possibility.

“Anyone uploading their creative content can reach the whole world and even make money. Like Salar, Susan has a healthy disregard for the impossible and is excited about improving YouTube in ways that people will love.”

Wojcicki was a driving force behind Google’s 2006 acquisition of YouTube for US$1.65bn, which prompted many sceptics at the time to warn the US company of the potentially huge legal risks it would be taking, as much of YouTube’s content was unlicensed.

However, YouTube has grown substantially since then, reaching a global audience of one billion monthly visitors.

Kamangar and Wojcicki joined Google in 1999 and became the company’s ninth and 10th employees, respectively.

The move to put an advertising boss at the helm of the video service follows several reports online that it is becoming more difficult for YouTube content partners to make a profit.