Google is set to replace its search and ads chief, Prabhakar Raghavan, with Nick Fox, a longtime executive at the company. This development was announced by Sundar Pichai, CEO of Alphabet, through a blog post. In the new arrangement, Raghavan will assume the role of chief technologist following 12 years of leadership within the search company. He will continue to report directly to Pichai, as confirmed by a statement from Google to CNBC.
Pichai explained, “Prabhakar has decided it’s time to make a significant career shift. In his new position, he’ll collaborate closely with me and Google leads to provide technical direction and leadership, while enhancing our culture of technical excellence.”
This change is part of Google’s ongoing efforts to restructure its teams to accelerate progress in the competitive artificial intelligence arena. The company is concurrently handling several antitrust lawsuits concerning its search and ads operations.
Nick Fox, a longstanding member of Raghavan’s leadership team, will oversee Google’s Knowledge and Information division, which comprises the company’s search, ads, and commerce products, as per Pichai.
Fox, who has been with Google since 2003, recently served as vice president of product and design for Google’s Assistant product. He previously held roles within the company’s ads business unit. Pichai noted, “Over the past few years, Nick has played a crucial role in forming Google’s AI product roadmap and has worked closely with Prabhakar.”
Raghavan has directed the knowledge and information unit since 2018. Earlier this year, he informed employees to prepare for evolving market conditions, highlighting that “things are not like they were 15-20 years ago,” according to CNBC.
Additionally, Pichai revealed that the team responsible for Google’s Gemini app, including AI direct-to-consumer products, will be integrated into Google DeepMind under the leadership of AI head Demis Hassabis. He stated, “Bringing the teams closer together will enhance feedback loops and enable the swift deployment of our new models within the Gemini app.”
Furthermore, the Assistant teams focused on devices and home experiences will be transferred to the Platforms and Devices unit “to be in proximity to the product surfaces they’re developing for,” Pichai added.
A correction was issued noting that a prior version of the story incorrectly stated Raghavan’s new position as CTO. A Google spokesperson clarified that this information was inaccurate.
