As Google was introducing Sundar Pichai as its new CEO to investors Monday, the tech giant announced it’s newest division.
The announcement restructured Google, creating a parent company called Alphabet. With the change, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin took control of Alphabet, leaving the opening for Pichai, the former senior vice president, to advance.
The new company has created divisions with more autonomy to make decisions. Under Sundar, Google has retained control of its search, ads, maps, and apps functions as well as YouTube and Android, Gizmodo reported.
Pichai is not new to the technology business, but he may be new to individuals who do not keep up with everyday happenings at Google.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVjWWPYf-1A
Pichai has been a rising star at Google for years. Sundar joined the tech company in 2004 from McKinsey & Company as a product manager for the browser toolbar.
Pichai also was instrumental in the creation of Chrome. According to a 2010 article in Fortune , Sundar argued in 2006 that Microsoft would cut into market share if Google did not act to fend off competition by creating a new browser option. The move paid dividends as Chrome is now a dominant force in the browser market thanks to the multitude of products Google sells that rely on Chrome.
Sundar continued to enjoy additional responsibilities within Google thanks to his success. In 2013, Pichai took control of Android Bloomberg reported. And in October 2014, Pichai was tasked with handling the day-to-day operations as the senior vice president for the company.
Under his watch, ad revenue for Google – one of its core products – has risen to over $60 billion as of 2014, according to a Wall Street Journal graphic.
In case you had any doubts about where Google gets its revenue: http://t.co/uUGTtBWwE3 pic.twitter.com/GBcaFR5VsR
— Rani Molla (@ranimolla) August 12, 2015
Rumors have swirled several times over the previous two years that Google had to up the ante to keep their new CEO. In 2013, both Microsoft and Twitter attempted to lure him away , and Pichai decided to stay on with the tech giant. That move cost the company a reported $50 million in stock options.
New rumors are swirling now that Google’s real motive for the move was Twitter made a renewed pitch to obtain Sundar as its CEO. Pichai was given the title and new responsibility in a move that was under consideration for some time, a recent Times of India article detailed.
Potential plans for Google now that Sundar has taken the reins include more country-centered plans, especially India , Pichai said in an interview.
“It is already the third-largest country in the world for internet users. In a couple of years it will be the second-largest. We expect to have half a billion internet users in India. The country’s GDP has been growing strongly… I would say like we are doing with Android One, we would want to do more such India-specific things.”
Sundar, who is of Indian descent, is estimated to be worth $150 million . His full name is Pichai Sundararajan, and he holds dual Master degrees from Stanford (engineering) and the University of Pennsylvania’s prestigeous Wharton School (business).
[Image by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]
