Indian-origin YouTube CEO Neal Mohan named TIME’s 2025 CEO of the year

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TIME Magazine has selected Neal Mohan, the Indian-origin chief executive of YouTube, as its 2025 CEO of the Year. Mohan took over the platform’s top job in 2023 after Susan Wojcicki stepped down, and TIME credits him with steering YouTube to even greater dominance despite intensifying competition across video, social and streaming.

TIME’s profile paints Mohan as calm, thoughtful and grounded, someone who avoids theatrics while quietly shaping one of the world’s most influential platforms. The magazine highlights his unassuming personality, noting his fondness for sports, family time and even his modest taste in sweets. Colleagues describe him as steady and difficult to unsettle, traits that now serve him well as leader of a platform watched by billions.

In the profile, Mohan likens modern YouTube to a sprawling metropolis where one change affects countless others. He contrasts this with the platform’s early, village-like atmosphere, where most creators knew each other. That scale, he says, forces today’s leadership to think far more cautiously about how each decision ripples across the ecosystem.

Mohan’s journey to the top of YouTube began long before he became CEO. A Stanford-trained electrical engineer, he joined Google in 2008 and went on to shape the company’s advertising and video strategy. He became YouTube’s Chief Product Officer in 2015, driving key launches such as YouTube TV, YouTube Music, Premium and Shorts, all of which have grown into major pillars of the platform.

Born in Indiana, he spent part of his childhood in Lucknow after his family relocated in the mid-1980s. His career includes roles at Microsoft and DoubleClick, with the latter acquired by Google in 2007. Beyond YouTube, he serves on the boards of Stitch Fix and genomics firm 23andMe.

TIME’s recognition underscores not just Mohan’s personal rise but YouTube’s expanding cultural footprint. Under his leadership, the platform has become even more central to entertainment, creator livelihoods and the broader attention economy.