Neal Mohan, the Indian-origin CEO of YouTube, has been bestowed with a major honor, being named TIME magazine’s 2025 CEO of the Year. The outlet described the technology leader as “quiet-spoken, deliberative, hard to ruffle,” highlighting the steady leadership style he has brought to the video platform.
Mohan took the helm as YouTube CEO in 2023, succeeding his long-time mentor, Susan Wojcicki. Under his leadership, he has significantly increased YouTube’s global dominance, cementing its position as one of the most-watched platforms worldwide.
Mohan’s Approachable Leadership
TIME magazine gathered insights into Mohan’s management style, particularly how he interacts with the platform’s core—the content creators.
YouTube star and creator Kinigra Deon shared her positive experience, noting his unique approachability:
“He walks around almost like he’s the manager at a restaurant,” Deon told the outlet. “He’s very approachable. He says, ‘Hey, I saw that series that you’re doing.’ Or ‘I heard about the studio you’re building.’ He knows about little old me as a creator, and he’s this big head of YouTube.”
People familiar with the CEO confirmed that interacting with creators is a key part of his leadership role and one he “enjoys the most.”
Vision: The Creator-Viewer-Advertiser Ecosystem
Mohan, who describes himself as “a technologist by passion and training” and someone who “loves media,” explained his core vision for YouTube, emphasizing the virtuous cycle driven by creators:
“Creator success on the platform brings in all of these viewers and fans from all over the world, which in turn brings in brands and advertisers and marketing opportunities and that in turn attracts the next batch of creators,” Mohan told the outlet, adding, “That’s sort of an encapsulation of my vision for YouTube.”
Before assuming his CEO role, Mohan was primarily responsible for product development in the tech industry, including a tenure as YouTube’s Chief Product Officer.
Neal Mohan’s Career at a Glance
| Category | Details |
| Education | Electrical Engineering (Stanford University); MBA (Stanford University Graduate School of Business). |
| Early Career | Senior Analyst at Accenture (1996); Joined DoubleClick Inc. (1997). |
| Key Roles | Worked at companies including Microsoft, Google, and Starbucks before joining YouTube. |
| YouTube Tenure | Joined as Chief Product Officer in 2015. Assumed the role of CEO in 2023. |
| Total Service | Has been working with the platform and Google ecosystem for over ten years. |