V Pappas. Image: Anthony Quintano/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
Meanwhile, TikTok is looking to compete with the likes of Amazon with a new online shopping feature.
TikTok’s chief operating officer V Pappas is stepping down from the role after five years with the company.
In a note sent to all TikTok employees yesterday (22 June), Pappas said “the time is right to move on and refocus on my entrepreneurial passions”.
According to Pappas’ LinkedIn profile, the executive joined TikTok in December 2018 as a general manager based in the US. Pappas then rose through the ranks to become chief operating officer in May 2021, leading the company’s growth operations for two years.
Referring to the social short-video social platform as “the last sunny spot on the internet”, Pappas said the platform with more than a billion users has supported creators to “own their voice, grow their audience and earn a livelihood” over the past five years.
Pappas will now take on an advisory role in the company, helping chief executive Shou Chew and the executive team during this time of transition. Meanwhile, 20-year veteran at Walt Disney Zenia Mucha is reportedly joining TikTok as chief brand and communications officer.
Online shopping
The news of Pappas’ departure comes as the social media giant, owned by Beijing-based ByteDance, continues to grow and attract both users and creators from all walks of life, despite some regulatory turmoil in Europe and the US.
Just yesterday, it was reported that TikTok is testing a new in-app section called Trendy Beat that marks the platform’s first foray into online shopping, pitting it in competition with e-commerce giants such as Amazon and Shein.
First reported by the Financial Times, the Trendy Beat section being tested in the UK will offer products shipped and sold by a subsidiary of parent company ByteDance.
However, the company told TechCrunch that the new e-commerce initiative is not being tested in the US, where it is currently focused on adding new merchants to TikTok Shop that lets brands sell items on the app.
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