Larry Page and Sergey Brin, founders of Google today announced that CEO of Google Sundar Pichai will be replacing Page as the CEO of parent company Alphabet. Performance Attribution Even, Sergey Brin stepped down from his role as president of Alphabet. Martech
Alphabet first came into existence in the year 2015 as a group of companies that separates Google from other bets that aren’t part of its core functions, such as Waymo is into self-driving cars, Verily is related to life sciences, Calico is involved in biotech R&D, Sidewalk Labs is urban innovation and Loon takes care of rural internet access via balloon.
Page moved from the role of CEO of Google to CEO of Alphabet, with Pichai stepping in to lead the search giant. However, Page and Brin, today wrote that “Alphabet and Google no longer require two CEOs and a President. Going ahead, Sundar will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet.”
Pichai has been a public face of Google for a while now, but this move cements his leadership of the larger company while moving Page and Brin out of the limelight.
Pichai reacted to this news through twitter, he wrote that he was excited about Alphabet and its long term focus on tackling big challenges through technology. He is looking forward to continuing to work with Larry and Sergey in their new roles. He thanked them and further added that they all have a timeless mission, enduring values, and a culture of collaboration and exploration. It’s a strong foundation on which they will continue to build.
About Pichai, Page and Brin wrote that
Sundar brings humility and a deep passion for technology to their users, partners, and employees every day. He has worked closely with them for 15 years, through the formation of Alphabet, as CEO of Google, and a member of the Alphabet Board of Directors. He shares their confidence in the value of the Alphabet structure, and the ability it provides them to tackle big challenges through technology. There is no one that they have relied on more since the Alphabet was founded, and no better person to lead Google and Alphabet into the future.
And instead of framing this as a departure, the pair suggested that they have never been ones to hold on to management roles when they think there is a better way to run the company and that they will remain deeply committed to Google and Alphabet for the long term, and will remain actively involved as Board members, shareholders, and co-founders of the organizations.