TikTok names new CEO and COO after 8 months of interim leadership – CNET [CNET]

TikTok announced a new CEO and COO Friday, eight months after its last chief executive, former Disney head of streaming Kevin Mayer, stepped down. In a move that TikTok’s Chinese parent company, ByteDance, categorized as a strategic reorganization, current ByteDance Chief Financial Officer Shouzi Chew will continue in that position while also assuming the role of TikTok chief, and interim TikTok CEO Vanessa Pappas will move into the position of chief operating officer.

The appointments come after a turbulent year for the popular video sharing service. In his letter of resignation after only three months at the helm, former CEO Mayer cited as a reason for his departure then-US President Donald Trump’s threat to ban TikTok unless it were sold to a US-based company.

Shouzi will continue to work out of his home office in Singapore, while Pappas is set to remain in Los Angeles. “The TikTok journey is just beginning,” said Pappas, according to the press release.