Google executive Susan Wojcicki has been appointed the new head of the company's YouTube video business - according to Reuters.
The move sees Wojcicki replace predecessor Salar Kamangar, it is the latest change to Google's top properties by Chief Executive Larry Page and comes as Google is looking to turn the popular video site into a big money-maker.
"It's one of the biggest traffic sources on the Internet, so it makes sense to want to try to monetize the best they can," said Needham & Co analyst Kerry Rice.
Google has never disclosed YouTube's financial results, though some analysts believe the website generates billions of dollars in annual revenue from video ads and other promotions.
Wojcicki who is a member of Page's inner circle and one of Google's top managers known as the "L" Team, also served as senior vice president of Ads and Commerce.
Her new job is effective immediately. It was not immediately clear what Kamangar would do, but it appears Kamangar is expected to remain at Google and perhaps playing a greater role in Google's venture capital activities.
YouTube is the world's number one video website and is moving to add professional video programmes to the vast piles of amateur videos as it looks to attract a bigger slice of the estimated $70 billion in spending on U.S. television ads.
"Like Salar, Susan has a healthy disregard for the impossible and is excited about improving YouTube in ways that people will love," Page said in a statement.
The change at YouTube comes nearly a year after Google appointed Sundar Pichai to lead its Android mobile software group, taking over from Andy Rubin, who is now spearheading a secretive group within Google that is developing robots.
Wojcicki has been with Google from its earliest days. Page and co-founder Sergey Brin set up shop in the garage of Wojcicki's Menlo Park, California home in September 1998, around the time they incorporated the company.
