Google search and advertising chief Prabhakar Raghavan steps down as regulatory pressure mounts

In a memo to employees, Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared that Prabhakar Raghavan, who has served as the head of advertising and search for many years, will transition to the position of chief technologist.

Nick Fox, a seasoned executive within Google’s search and ads division, will take over Raghavan's former role.

Fox will oversee search, ads, geo, and commerce operations, having been instrumental in developing products such as Google Fi and RCS messaging.

Raghavan has previously managed advertising and other vital areas of the world's largest online search engine.

In his new role, Raghavan will concentrate on guiding the company’s technical strategy and fostering a culture of technological excellence.

According to the memo, he will work closely with Pichai and other executives to ensure Google remains at the forefront of innovation.

"Prabhakar has decided it’s time to make a significant career move," Pichai noted.

"After 12 years leading various teams at Google, he’ll return to his computer science roots and become the Chief Technologist at Google. In this capacity, he will partner closely with me and Google leaders to provide technical direction and enhance our culture of tech excellence," he added.

In addition to these leadership changes, Google is reorganizing certain aspects of its research and development.

The Gemini app team, headed by Sissie Hsaio, will now be integrated into Google DeepMind, the company’s AI research subsidiary.

Meanwhile, the Google Assistant team will merge with the platforms and devices division.