LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) – TikTok’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Vanessa ‘V’ Pappas, is stepping down from the role after nearly five years with the popular platform.

“Given all the successes reached at TikTok, I finally feel the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions,” Pappas said in an email to staff, which they made public on Twitter on Friday (June 23).

Pappas, who also served as TikTok’s interim head, has helped lobby the US government to keep TikTok operating in the US. Pappas had earlier estimated that if a US ban on TikTok existed for six months, over 80% of its daily users would not return to the platform.

Reflecting on the challenges faced by TikTok during their tenure, Pappas said: “Together, we also faced some of the industry’s most unprecedented challenges, and I am incredibly humbled to have been able to help steer the company during such periods, and I take each lesson with me.”

Pappas spearheaded several initiatives to support creators and expand the platform’s audience. Additionally, they played a key role in promoting transparency and accountability in the industry through initiatives like the Content Advisory Council, Transparency Centers, and APIs for researchers.

Following their resignation, Pappas will transition into an advisory role, supporting TikTok CEO Shou Chew and the platform’s executive team.

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