V. Pappas, the chief operating officer of TikTok, has resigned after nearly five years with the company. Pappas announced the resignation in a memo posted to Twitter, stating that the “time is right to move on and refocus.”
In their memo, Pappas expressed gratitude for the accomplishments achieved during their tenure at TikTok. They emphasized the need to explore their entrepreneurial passions, citing the rapid advancements in generative AI, robotics, renewable energy, genomics, blockchain, and the IoT. Pappas believes that these groundbreaking innovations will shape the future.
Pappas will remain at TikTok in an advisory role, but they will no longer be involved in day-to-day operations. They will be replaced by Adam Presser, TikTok’s current chief of staff.
Pappas added in their memo that they were proud of what they had accomplished at TikTok. “We have built a global community of creators and users who are changing the way people communicate and express themselves,” they wrote. “I am confident that TikTok will continue to grow and thrive in the years to come.”
Prior to joining TikTok, Pappas spent nearly eight years at YouTube, leading audience and insights teams. They took on the role of US general manager at TikTok in 2018 and served as interim CEO in 2020 before officially becoming COO in April 2021.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheVerge.