New York — TikTok’s chief operating officer, V Pappas, is leaving the popular social media platform after nearly five years at the company.
In a note sent to employees Thursday morning and later shared on Twitter, Pappas, who uses the pronouns she and they/they, said that now that the company has achieved so much success, she felt it was time to move on. is the right time. Focus on “entrepreneurial passion”.
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew said in a note to employees that Pappa, one of the company’s most public faces, will continue to serve as a strategic advisor.
Chew wrote, “I would like to take this opportunity to thank Wei for his many years of contribution.” “Throughout his time at TikTok, he has been instrumental in growing the business, advocating for the company, enhancing our product offering and marketing campaigns, and fostering a positive community of creators and users. He has had a significant and lasting impact and we are truly grateful for his tireless efforts.
Pappas joined TikTok in 2018 as general manager and was promoted to interim chief in 2020 when then-CEO Kevin Mayer left the company after only three months in the role. The former YouTube executive took on the role of COO the following year, and has testified on Capitol Hill and offered a stark defense of the company in media interviews, which has been scrutinized by lawmakers concerned about its Chinese origins.
For years, TikTok has dismissed claims that its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, would share user data from its popular video-sharing app with the Chinese government, or push propaganda and misinformation on its own behalf. The company is currently negotiating its data privacy plans with the Biden administration, which earlier this year threatened to ban it nationwide if its Chinese owners didn’t sell their stake.
TikTok says the Chinese government has never asked it to share US user data, and it won’t do so if asked.
In his email to employees, Chew also announced an organizational change at the company.
Xenia Mucha, who served Disney as a communications executive for nearly two decades, will join TikTok as chief brand and communications officer to oversee the company’s marketing and public relations arm.
Chew said that TikTok chief of staff Adam Presser will become the company’s chief of operations.
