More than two decades after founding Google, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are stepping down from the top two positions at Alphabet, the parent company of Google, handing the reigns over to Sundar Pichai.
Google is one of the most well-known tech companies in the world and eventually expanded into many other related sectors to form an ecosystem. To ensure smooth functioning and management, Alphabet was established as a part of Google’s restructuring in 2015. Page assumed the role of the CEO while Brin became the President of Alphabet Inc., promoting Pichai to Google’s CEO position.
Four years later, Alphabet is going through its first major management change, where the founders will transition out of their executive roles and continue as shareholders and board members. Sundar Pichai will be the CEO of both Google and Alphabet with immediate effect.
In a letter published on Google’s blog, the founders explained why the two companies no longer need two separate CEOs, and how Sundar Pichai will be responsible and accountable for leading Google and managing Alphabet’s investment portfolio.
With Alphabet now well-established, and Google and the Other Bets operating effectively as independent companies, it’s the natural time to simplify our management structure. We’ve never been ones to hold on to management roles when we think there’s a better way to run the company.
This transition comes during a period when Google faces increasing pressure from authorities and politicians around data privacy, monopolies, and other practices. It remains to be seen if this change will have any effect in the short run.
