Neal Mohan

Neal Mohan is an American technology executive best known as the Chief Executive Officer of YouTube, a role he assumed in February 2023 following the resignation of Susan Wojcicki. Widely recognized for shaping the modern online video ecosystem, Mohan has played a central role in the evolution of digital advertising, creator monetization, streaming media, and platform-scale product strategy across Google and YouTube.

Before becoming CEO, Mohan served as YouTube’s Chief Product Officer and previously led Google’s display and video advertising business following Google’s acquisition of DoubleClick in 2007. Under his leadership, YouTube expanded aggressively into subscription services, short-form video, connected television, creator commerce, and AI-powered creator tools.

Early life and education

Neal Mohan was born on July 14, 1973, in Lafayette, Indiana, United States, to Indian parents originally from Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Aditya Mohan, moved to the United States to pursue doctoral studies in civil engineering at Purdue University.

Mohan spent portions of his childhood in both the United States and India. In the mid-1980s, his family relocated to Lucknow, where he attended St. Francis’ College and became fluent in Hindi while also studying Sanskrit.

He later returned to the United States for higher education and enrolled at Stanford University, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in electrical engineering in 1996. In 2005, he completed a Master of Business Administration from the Stanford Graduate School of Business, where he was recognized as an Arjay Miller Scholar.

Career

Early career

Mohan began his professional career at Accenture before joining NetGravity, an early online advertising technology company. NetGravity was later acquired by DoubleClick, where Mohan became closely associated with the company’s ad technology and product operations.

Following operational turmoil at DoubleClick in the early 2000s, Mohan worked alongside CEO David Rosenblatt to rebuild and modernize the company’s advertising systems and product strategy.

Google and advertising leadership

Google acquired DoubleClick in 2007 in a landmark deal valued at approximately $3.1 billion. After the acquisition, Mohan joined Google and rose through the company’s advertising organization, eventually becoming Senior Vice President of Display and Video Ads.

At Google, he oversaw key advertising technologies and helped develop products that strengthened Google’s dominance in online display and video advertising.

In 2011, Twitter reportedly attempted to recruit Mohan as its Chief Product Officer. Google retained him through a compensation package reportedly valued at approximately $100 million.

YouTube

Mohan joined YouTube in 2015 as Chief Product Officer under CEO Susan Wojcicki. In this role, he led global product strategy, user experience, trust and safety initiatives, creator systems, and monetization products.

He played a major role in launching and expanding several major YouTube initiatives, including:

• YouTube Music
• YouTube Premium
• YouTube TV
• YouTube Kids
• YouTube Shorts
• Creator monetization and subscription systems

Mohan also became one of the company’s principal executives overseeing platform moderation and misinformation policies during periods of heightened scrutiny around online extremism and election-related content.

On February 16, 2023, Susan Wojcicki announced that Mohan would become the new CEO of YouTube.

Chief Executive Officer of YouTube

As CEO, Mohan has overseen YouTube’s expansion beyond traditional online video into streaming television, podcasts, sports broadcasting, artificial intelligence tools, and creator commerce.

Under his leadership, YouTube accelerated investment in connected TV experiences and Shorts, positioning the platform competitively against TikTok, Netflix, and streaming media ecosystems.

Mohan has consistently emphasized creator empowerment and openness as central principles of YouTube’s identity.

In 2025, TIME named him its “CEO of the Year” for his leadership of YouTube and influence on the global creator economy.

Leadership style and influence

Mohan is widely regarded as one of the most influential executives in digital media and advertising. His leadership style has frequently been described as analytical, product-focused, and creator-centric.

He has advocated for balancing technological innovation with platform responsibility, especially regarding misinformation, child safety, and AI-generated media.

Boards and affiliations

Mohan has served on multiple corporate and nonprofit boards, including:

• Stitch Fix
• 23andMe
• Starbucks
• The Paley Center for Media

He has also served on the Advisory Council of the Stanford Graduate School of Business and has been associated with the Council on Foreign Relations.

Awards and recognition

Mohan has received several recognitions for leadership in technology and media, including:

• Gold House A100 Honoree (2023)
• Fortune “100 Most Powerful People in Business”
• TIME CEO of the Year (2025)
• Global Indian of the Year – Economic Times Awards 2025

Personal life

Mohan is married to Hema Sareen Mohan, who has worked in nonprofit and public welfare sectors. The couple has children and resides in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Social media

• YouTube: @nealmohan
• LinkedIn: Neal Mohan
• Instagram: @neal_mohan
• X (formerly Twitter): @nealmohan