Amid lingering questions over the future of the app in the US, TikTok is undergoing its biggest management shake-up yet, with COO Vanessa Pappas announcing that she has quit the company, after several years in the role.

Pappas, a former YouTube exec, has been the public face of TikTok to a large degree, providing a sense of stability via her various appearances on behalf of the app.

Pappas, at one stage, even took on the CEO role at the app, after the failed appointment of former Disney executive Kevin Mayer in 2020. Mayer came into the role just as TikTok was being forced into a sale by the Trump Administration, which saw him move on due to concerns around the future direction of the app.

Pappas then stepped in, and served as TikTok chief for almost a year, till current CEO Shou Zi Chew was promoted from within Bytedance. Pappas then moved to the COO role, though she continued to appear in Senate hearings and various media opportunities on behalf of the company.

As such, it’s a significant change, especially as TikTok continues to come under scrutiny over its potential links to the Chinese Government. Pappas has arguably been the key local identity in TikTok leadership, and a trusted face at that, which could make her loss even more felt within the organization.

Though TikTok already has its replacements. Current chief of staff Adam Presser, a former Warner Brothers exec, will be moved to head of operations, while former Disney executive Zenia Mucha will join TikTok in a new Chief Brand and Communications role. 

That’ll provide TikTok with a new foundation of local connection and trust, which it’ll be hoping replaces any gaps left by Pappas’ exit.

Though I’m not sure that it will - while Pappas’ decision to move on amid the ongoing debate over the app’s future in the West could also reflect internal concerns about its prospects in avoiding further bans.

But Pappas has also been through a lot. There’s been the highs of TikTok’s rapid growth and cultural impact, along with the regulatory scrutiny that comes with that, and the bans that have been discussed, and implemented, in various regions.

You can understand Pappas’ desire for some relative calm after the roller coaster that’s been TikTok’s meteoric ascent, and it’ll be interesting to see how the company negotiates this next stage.