YouTube’s Indian-origin CEO Neal Mohan has won Time Magazine’s 2025 CEO of the Year award.

Times said in a statement: “YouTube provides the soil, and everyone comes and plants whatever nourishing or noxious plants they care to. As the garden takes over more of the planet, even threatening some old-growth forests, whatever grows there becomes what everyone consumes, because it’s what’s available, and often what’s free. In many ways YouTube is creating the cultural diet that the globe is beginning to subsist on. Mohan is the farmer; what he cultivates will be what we eat.”

Born in Lafayette, Indiana, to Indian parents, Mohan had a strong academic foundation at Stanford University. He took up a position as Chief Product Officer of YouTube in 2015, after his stint in Google as Senior Vice President of Display and Video Ads, from 2008. While there, he helped develop ad products central to Google’s business. At YouTube, Mohan was involved in shaping product direction and innovation.

In 2023, he was appointed as YouTube CEO, making him one of the Indian-origin leaders of a niche group. He took the helm of YouTube after the stepping down of his mentor Susan Wojcicki.

Mohan’s contribution is pivotal in various corporate boards, including Starbucks and 23andMe. His broad influence in media and business highlights his adaptability and vision. – editor@nrifocus.com