DECEMBER 6, 2019 5
MEET THE BOSS
MAX WHITTAKER/THE NEW YORK TIMES Sundar Pichai at Google’s headquarters in Mountain View, on May 3, 2019. 5 THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT SUNDAR PICHAI, CEO OF GOOGLE AND ALPHABET Google’s holding company Alphabet Inc. executive Andy Rubin amid sexual has a new executive in charge, and while misconduct accusations and its hiring of a Sundar Pichai may not be as well-known firm that specializes in suppressing labor as Sergey Brin or Larry Page, his four-year union organizing. It has also dealt fallout tenure as CEO of Google has taught us around its Pentagon work. a few things about him. Here are a few things we know about the 47-year-old: 3. Pichai bucked Google’s history of internal transparency and direct 1. He’s worked for Google for 15 years communication in rolling back the and interviewed at the company company’s all-hands meetings from on April 1, 2004, the day Gmail was weekly to monthly, and focusing them launched. The Stanford-educated on business and strategy — relegating engineer reportedly told an audience in discussion of “workplace issues” to 2017 that an interviewer asked him for his separate town hall meetings. Pichai thoughts about Gmail, but he couldn’t has also discouraged employees from respond because he had never used debating politics at work. it — he thought the product was an April Fool’s Joke. Pichai ultimately led product 4. Alphabet’s stock has soared since he management and innovation for software took over as CEO. The share price has products like Google Chrome, Chrome jumped from less than $600 in 2015 to OS, Google Drive, Gmail, Google Maps more than $1,300 today. Despite a rare and Android. 23 percent profit decline reported to investors in October, analysts praise the JACOB SILBERBERG/REUTERS 2. His tenure as CEO of Google — which company’s performance, specifically its coincided with the creation of Alphabet core online advertising business. in 2015 — has been rife with political form that delivers better business out- Alphabet’s stock price rose almost 2 controversy, both inside and outside 5. Pichai is overseeing a massive the company. Pichai testified before a geographical expansion in Silicon Valley comes for organizations,” independent percent on Dec. 4, the day after it made congressional committee in December and nationwide, with new or expanded analyst Jim Sinur told the Business Jour- the announcement of the leadership about political bias, data privacy and offices planned in Silicon Valley along nal. “My hope is for practical combina- change, with shares trading at around developing a censored search engine with Colorado, Massachusetts, New York, tions of products and services that will $1,319. The company’s stock price hasn’t for Chinese users. The company also has Texas and elsewhere. The company’s allow organizations to compete from a dipped below $1,000 since last December. faced an antitrust probe and dealt with employee count has grown by about 28 ongoing internal controversies, including percent in the last two years, to almost collaborative and smoothly integrated set Its market capitalization hovers around the $90 million payout it gave to former 117,800 today. of technologies that deliver.” $910 billion.
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1. GOOGLE
2. GOOGLE
3. PETER DASILVA/THE NEW YORK TIMES Google hits $50 billion in annual Schmidt announces his retirement In April, Schmidt and former 2012: 2017: 2019: 4. NASDAQ revenue anc closes the year at a market from the executive chairman role at Google Cloud CEO Diane Green depart the cap of nearly $488 billion. On Dec. 4, 2019, Alphabet to take an advisory role. Two Alphabet board. On Dec. 3, Page and Brin 5. YOUTUBE the company is worth $914 billion. years later, he leaves the company’s board. announce their exit from the executive 6. GOOGLE team. Pichai becomes CEO of both Google and Alphabet. Though Page and Brin 8. PETER DASILVA/THE NEW YORK TIMES remain major shareholders and board 2015: Google restructures as Alphabet 2018: Former Stanford University 9. VICKI THOMPSON Inc.. Sundar Pichai is named CEO of President John Hennessy is named members, the abrupt exit for the executive Google. Alphabet gets Page as CEO, Brin chairman of Alphabet. Also, Pichai testifies suite marks the end of an era for the two 10. SUSANA BATES/DREW ALTIZER as president and Schmidt as chairman. before Congress as “techlash” grows. founders, 21 years after they began the PHOTOGRAPHY company in a Menlo Park garage. 11. JIM WILSON/THE NEW YORK TIMES
SOURCE: Silicon Valley Business Journal staff