TikTok North America Ad Head Khartoon Weiss Steps Down Amid Executive Shake-Up

Khartoon Weiss, TikTok's top executive for North American advertising, is stepping down from the company on Friday, April 9, marking the latest high-profile departure amid ongoing leadership changes at the short-video platform.^[1][2][3] In an internal memo to clients and partners, Weiss announced her exit to "pursue a new opportunity," while assuring stakeholders that TikTok remains committed to their priorities and business continuity as it searches for a replacement.^[1][2]

Weiss, who joined TikTok nearly six years ago from Spotify, had overseen the platform's global agency and accounts teams before being promoted in March 2025 to lead the North America division of its global business solutions.^[3] Just weeks ago, she pitched TikTok's ad products to marketers at the NewFronts event in New York, emphasizing the platform's U.S.-centric future and new brand tools despite lingering concerns over data privacy tied to parent company ByteDance.^[2] Her departure follows the exit of advertising head Blake Chandlee, which paved the way for her promotion.^[3]

This move adds to a wave of executive turnover in TikTok's advertising and marketing teams over the past year, including Zuber Mohammed, global head of consumer marketing, who left in March; Sofia Hernandez, global head of business marketing and commercial partnerships; and Rema Vasan, North America business marketing lead, who departed last quarter.^[3] According to Bloomberg, Weiss joins a broader trend of American executives stepping down, while Business Insider described it as another shake-up in the ad division.[web:0 from cluster][web:1 from cluster]

The exits come as TikTok navigates a transformed U.S. landscape following a January 2026 U.S.-China deal that shifted the app to American ownership through a joint venture involving Oracle, MGX, and Silver Lake, addressing long-standing privacy and national security fears linked to ByteDance's Chinese ties.^[1][3] While the venture handles U.S. user data, advertising and marketing operations stay under ByteDance control, with country leads like Joshua Bloom for the U.S. and Nik Djukic for Canada remaining in place to ensure stability.^[1]

For advertisers, Weiss's departure raises questions about momentum in TikTok's ad business, especially after her recent efforts to rebuild confidence among brands.^[2] The company has emphasized seamless transitions, but the pattern of senior-level churn could signal internal challenges as TikTok adapts to its new structure and competes in a crowded social media ad market.

Looking ahead, TikTok is actively seeking a new business leader for North America, with interim support from existing teams.^[1][3] Clients can expect continued focus on their campaigns, but the platform's ability to retain top talent will be key to sustaining growth amid regulatory shifts and executive flux.