Neal Mohan Named TIME’s 2025 CEO of the Year

Neal Mohan, the Indian-origin chief executive of YouTube, has been honoured as TIME Magazine’s CEO of the Year for 2025. The publication credits him with steering the platform through a period of cultural and technological transformation, shaping what billions of people watch and engage with every day.

A Leader Shaping Global Digital Culture

TIME describes Mohan as a cultural architect whose decisions influence the world’s “digital diet.” Since becoming CEO in 2023, he has overseen strategic shifts in content moderation, platform governance and creator engagement, positioning YouTube as a central force in global online media.

Personal and Educational Background

Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1973, Mohan spent part of his childhood in Lucknow, where he became fluent in Hindi and studied Sanskrit. He later drew parallels between the logic of Sanskrit and computer programming. He returned to the United States for higher studies, completing both his undergraduate degree and MBA at Stanford University. His professional journey began in consulting and later at NetGravity, which was acquired by DoubleClick.

Rise Through the Tech Industry

Mohan played a pivotal role in DoubleClick’s $3.1 billion sale to Google in 2007, bringing him into close collaboration with Susan Wojcicki. She later recruited him to YouTube, where he worked beside her for years before succeeding her in 2023. During her illness in 2024, Mohan assumed expanded responsibilities before formally taking charge.

Exam Oriented Facts

• Neal Mohan became YouTube CEO in 2023.
• He was named TIME’s 2025 CEO of the Year.
• He helped lead DoubleClick’s $3.1 billion sale to Google in 2007.
• YouTube settled a major lawsuit in 2025 for $24.5 million under his leadership.

Key Decisions Under His Leadership

A major milestone during Mohan’s tenure was YouTube’s settlement of a long-running legal case related to the suspension of Donald Trump’s channel. The $24.5 million settlement concluded the dispute without admission of wrongdoing. Mohan continues to focus on platform safety, global content strategy and innovation, reinforcing YouTube’s role as a dominant global media ecosystem.