23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki responds to critics, shares plan for company’s future: “Essential for us to restructure” [Video]

23andMe CEO Anne Wojcicki knows the genetic-testing and ancestry-tracing company has been in “the eye of the storm” recently, but she said she’s confident that the company is still viable and believes it will be “growing and thriving” a year from now.

“I believe in the company. I believe in the long-term mission. But I believe it’s essential for us to restructure,” Wojcicki told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King in an exclusive interview.

Wojcicki acknowledged recent headlines about the California-based company’s struggles, including a data security incident in late 2023, a full board resignation in September, and laying off 40% of the company’s workforce in November. In a public letter, the seven board members said it was “clear that we differ on the strategic direction for the Company going forward.”

The announcement came as a surprise to Wojcicki, saying that she doesn’t have “great insights into what the strategic differences were” and that “there was not an overt disagreement.” Wojcicki …