Sundar Pichai: the human leader of Google

    Bruno Bowden, Data Collective's business partner and former chief engineer at Google Earth and Enterprise Gmail, talked about the leaders of Google. According to him, to become one of them, you need to be at least three times the best developer than your colleagues. Such technical skills in one person rarely coexist with emotional intelligence - the possibility of empathy. Savants are very different from the average person.

    Sundar Pichai is a rare exception .

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    In early October 2015, Google came under the control of Alphabet Holding . The executive director of the holding was Larry Page, the president is Sergey Brin. Sundar Pichai, who until then was the director of products, was appointed Google CEO: he was responsible for the Chrome browser and the Android operating system.

    Sundar Pichai in October made the first personnel changes in the company, choosing executive directors of the directions from people known both inside Google and outside it, as veterans of their business and talented professionals. One of the company's former executive directors noted that “all the * bad people * were left behind” (All the assholes have left).

    Of course, hardly all - given their inexhaustible reserves in Silicon Valley. The new regime that reigned in Google is very different from the company's early era with its assertive leaders, including former CEO Larry Page. “He could come off on his team. He seemed to lack emotional intelligence. He’s just zero in this regard, ”says the man who worked with him for many years about Page. Page has now moved away from Google to take up research and development.

    Google is no longer a startup that needs stubborn leaders who can walk their heads for their own success and the success of the company. Google has come to terms with its age, as indicated by the appointment of Sundar Pichai.

    A great example is Hiroshi Lockheimer, whom Sundar has appointed to lead Android. The people who worked with him certainly do not use the word “asshole”. Rick Osterloch, president of Motorola, says: “He's a terrific guy. He is very pretty. He is one of those people whom you can always contact directly. ” They worked together on Good Technology in 2001.

    Lockheimer joined Google in 2006 and worked on launching Android 1.0. He grew rapidly thanks to the support of the head of this direction, Andy Rubin, although their work style did not coincide in everything. A former colleague describes Lockheimer as more balanced than Rubin and his assistants, Hugo Barra, now working for Xiaomi, and Steve Horowitz, Snapchat. In addition to Android, Lockheimer is now responsible for the Chromecast streaming service and the Chrome OS operating system.

    Lokheimer is described as an open and diplomatic leader - this is the approach to work that Pichai appreciates.

    When Motorola was owned by Google , many industry players were confident that now the company would take over the dominant position in the market, Osterloch said. But Lockheimer would not allow this. “He was always very careful, he had to be sure that he was playing honestly,” adds the Motorola chief.

    Hiroshi Lockheimer’s appointment is welcomed by Michael Chan, CTO of smartphone maker Nextbit Systems: “It will be good for Google and for Android in particular. Among all who can be responsible for this work, Hiroshi is definitely the best candidate. ”

    The same qualities, according to industry representatives, are characteristic of Philip Schindler, who is responsible for sales at Google. Schindler is the protégé of Nikesh Arora, who was in charge of Google’s business from 2009 to 2014. Schindler acts like Arora, but in a more relaxed manner. “He’s smart, sociable, a simple guy to do business with,” says Jonathan Nelson, head of Omnicom Digital. One of the buyers described Schindler as a man willing to compromise in negotiations. Previously, Google’s advertising business was inflexible in its requirements. Colleagues who worked with Schindler say that he skillfully climbed the career ladder, while not stepping on anyone's heels.

    Philip Schindler also has extensive experience where Google needs to be “very good.” Schindler spent thirteen years at AOL in Europe, where Google is now facing vigilant government control .

    Partners should like the new, more malleable and humane Google. But it was the former leaders, known for their bloated ego, who used their energy to make Google the industry giant.

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