Sundar Pichai

Sundar Pichai is an Indian-American business executive who is the chief executive officer of Google and of its parent company Alphabet. He has led the development of many of the company's most important products.

Early Life and Education

Pichai was born in Madurai in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu in 1972. His father was an electrical engineer and his mother was a stenographer.

He studied metallurgical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He won a scholarship to Stanford University, where he took a master's degree in materials science.

He later took a master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. He worked as a management consultant at McKinsey and Company.

The Career at Google

Pichai joined Google in 2004 and worked on the Google Toolbar and on the Chrome browser. He led the development of the Chrome browser, which became the most widely used browser in the world.

He took charge of the Android operating system and of the Chrome operating system. He also led the development of the Google Drive and the Google Docs applications.

He was appointed the head of the product division in 2013 and the chief executive officer of Google in 2015. He oversaw the reorganisation of the company under the parent company Alphabet.

He became the chief executive officer of Alphabet in 2019. He has led the company's investment in artificial intelligence and in cloud computing.

The Products and the Strategy

Pichai has overseen the development of the Google Assistant and of the Pixel line of devices. He has promoted the use of machine learning throughout the company's products.

He has emphasised the importance of artificial intelligence as the central technology of the company's future. He has supported the development of the Tensor Processing Units for machine learning.

He has led the company's response to the issues of privacy and of the regulation of the technology industry. He has testified before the legislatures of the United States and of Europe.

The Public Role and the Recognition

Pichai is one of the most prominent executives of the technology industry. He is a member of the board of directors of several companies and organisations.

He has supported the education of the students of India and the development of the technology sector there. He has announced the investment of large sums in the digital infrastructure of the country.

He has received the Global Leadership Award of the United States-India Business Council. He is regarded as one of the most influential business leaders of his generation.

He has spoken of the responsibility of the technology companies to use their power for the public benefit. He has argued for the openness and the accessibility of the internet.

The Early Career

Pichai worked at the consulting firm McKinsey and Company before joining Google. He advised the technology companies on the strategy and the management.

He joined Google in 2004 and worked on the Google Toolbar. He later led the development of the Chrome browser, which was launched in 2008.

The browser gained a large share of the market because of its speed and its simplicity. The success established his reputation within the company.

The Leadership Style

Pichai is known for his calm and his collaborative style of the management. He has been described as a consensus builder.

He has emphasised the importance of the artificial intelligence for the future of the company. He has reorganised the company around the AI research.

He has testified before the Congress on the issues of the privacy and the competition. He has defended the practices of the company.

The Education and the Family

Pichai studied metallurgical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur. He took a master's degree in materials science at Stanford University.

He took a master's degree in business administration from the Wharton School. He worked as a management consultant at McKinsey and Company before joining Google.

He is married to Anjali Pichai and has two children. He is a supporter of the education and the technology sector in India.

The Products and the Innovation

Pichai led the development of the Chrome browser and of the Chrome operating system. He also led the development of the Android operating system.

He oversaw the launch of the Google Assistant and of the Pixel line of the devices. He has promoted the use of the artificial intelligence throughout the products.

He has invested in the cloud computing and in the machine learning. He has supported the development of the custom chips for the artificial intelligence.

The Leadership and the Strategy

Pichai became the chief executive officer of Google in 2015 and of Alphabet in 2019. He has led the company through the period of the rapid growth.

He has emphasised the importance of the artificial intelligence and of the cloud computing. He has reorganised the company around these priorities.