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Alphabet Inc.

Internet services and artificial intelligenceFounded 1998
Reviewed by Swet Parvadiya
Company data updated: October 2026

Leadership History

Google: CEO History

3 leaders · 1998 to present

Who is the CEO of Google?

Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Google, in the role since 2015. The first chief executive was Larry Page, from 1998.

Current CEO
Sundar Pichai (since 2015)
First CEO
Larry Page (1998)
Leaders documented
3
Founded
1998
NameRoleFromToYears in role
Sundar PichaiCEO of Alphabet and Google2015Present11
Eric SchmidtFormer CEO and Executive Chairman2001201110
Larry PageCo-founder and Former CEO1998201921
Who was CEO of Google before Sundar Pichai?
Eric Schmidt was CEO of Google from 2001 to 2011, before Sundar Pichai took over in 2015.

Company Overview

Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOGL, GOOG) was formed in 2015 as the parent of Google, which Larry Page and Sergey Brin founded in 1998 after building the PageRank search algorithm at Stanford. Headquartered in Mountain View, California, and led by CEO Sundar Pichai since 2019, it reported $402.8 billion in FY2025 revenue and 190,820 employees. Page and Brin still control the company through Class B super-voting shares, while institutions such as Vanguard, BlackRock and State Street are the largest holders of the publicly traded classes. The absolute apex predator of the internet was founded in a California garage in 1998, completely monopolizing global access to information before building Android, YouTube, and the massive data centers that run the modern world.

Sundar Pichai

CEO of Alphabet and Google

2015 – Present

11 years (current)

Key Decisions & Impact

Taking over as CEO of Google during the 2015 Alphabet restructuring, and subsequently assuming the CEO role for Alphabet in 2019, Sundar Pichai has been the steady, execution-focused leader tasked with maturing the founder-led startup. His most critical strategic decision was declaring Google a 'AI-first' company, directing sustained capital investment toward developing foundational large language models and integrating machine learning capabilities across the entire product suite. He has also overseen the expansion of the Google Cloud business, competing against established enterprise giants like Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure.

Legacy

Pichai provides crucial corporate stability and pragmatic product leadership, transitioning Google from its chaotic early years into a profitable, mature corporate giant. His diplomatic, consensus-driven management style has been essential in handling the intense global antitrust scrutiny, employee activism, and complex geopolitical tensions that have increasingly defined the modern technology landscape. Under his tenure, the company's valuation has surged, largely driven by his successful execution in the cloud computing and artificial intelligence sectors.

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Eric Schmidt

Former CEO and Executive Chairman

2001 – 2011

10 years

Key Decisions & Impact

Recruited as CEO in 2001 to provide essential 'adult supervision' for the effective but inexperienced founders, Eric Schmidt implemented the rigorous corporate structures and professional management processes necessary to scale a rapidly growing startup. He orchestrated the company's historic, unconventional Initial Public Offering (IPO) in 2004, utilizing a Dutch auction format to bypass traditional Wall Street investment banking fees. Crucially, he oversaw the rapid monetization of the search engine, driving the aggressive expansion of the AdWords platform that ultimately created one of the most profitable business models in history.

Legacy

Schmidt was the indispensable bridge between a chaotic academic research project and a globally dominant, publicly traded corporation. His operational expertise and political savvy allowed the founders to remain focused on long-term technological innovation while he managed the complexities of global sales, public relations, and early regulatory challenges. His tenure is widely regarded as one of the most successful executive partnerships in corporate history.

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Larry Page

Co-founder and Former CEO

1998 – 2019

21 years

Key Decisions & Impact

As the co-founder and original author of the influential PageRank algorithm, Larry Page made the foundational decision that web search results should be ranked mathematically by the quality and quantity of inbound links, rather than simply matching keywords. During his second stint as CEO (2011-2015), he streamlined the company's sprawling product portfolio, shutting down dozens of underperforming projects to focus on essential core services. He also spearheaded the radical 2015 corporate restructuring that created Alphabet Inc., isolating the profitable core internet business from the speculative, high-risk 'moonshot' projects.

Legacy

Larry Page is one of the most consequential technologists of the modern era. His initial algorithmic breakthrough organized the chaotic early internet, creating the essential infrastructure for the modern digital economy. His relentless, ambitious focus on solving global-scale engineering problems established the distinctive, engineering-first culture that continues to define Google's approach to product development and long-term scientific research.

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Challenges & Strategic Context

Three pressures stand out. First, AI answer engines such as ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot and Perplexity can satisfy queries without a page of ad links, so Google must keep monetizing AI Overviews and AI Mode as well as classic results. Second, antitrust: Judge Amit Mehta ruled in 2024 that Google illegally maintained a search monopoly, and his September 2025 remedies banned exclusive distribution deals and ordered data sharing with rivals for six years (Google appealed in January 2026); in 2026 Judge Leonie Brinkema declined to break up the ad-tech business but ordered changes to how its ad tools operate. Third, capital intensity: 2026 capex guidance was raised to $195-205 billion in July 2026, and free cash flow turned negative in Q2 2026, so returns on AI infrastructure now have to show up in Cloud and Search growth.

Google CEO and Leadership FAQ

Who have been the Chief Executive Officers of Google and Alphabet Inc.?

Google has been led by key CEOs: co-founder Larry Page (1998-2001 and 2011-2015 as Google CEO, 2015-2019 as Alphabet CEO), Dr. Eric Schmidt (2001-2011 as Google CEO/Chairman), and Sundar Pichai (2015-present as Google CEO, 2019-present as Alphabet CEO).

What major achievements characterized Dr. Eric Schmidt's decade as Google CEO (2001-2011)?

Eric Schmidt provided 'adult supervision' and seasoned executive management alongside Larry and Sergey, orchestrating the historic 2004 IPO, acquiring Android (2005) and YouTube (2006), launching Google Chrome (2008), and scaling annual revenues from $100 million to over $38 billion.

What major corporate transformations did Larry Page lead during his second tenure as CEO (2011-2019)?

Larry Page streamlined product focus ('more wood behind fewer arrows'), launched the Google+ social network and Google Glass moonshots, acquired DeepMind in 2014, and architected the monumental 2015 corporate restructuring that created Alphabet Inc.

What leadership accomplishments define Sundar Pichai's tenure as CEO of Alphabet and Google?

Sundar Pichai declared Google an 'AI-first company' in 2016, oversaw the launch of Google Tensor chips and Pixel hardware, scaled Google Cloud to a $35B+ profitable business, unified Google Brain and DeepMind into Google DeepMind, and grew Alphabet's market capitalization past $2 trillion.

What background and early accomplishments did Sundar Pichai have at Google before becoming CEO?

A metallurgical engineer from IIT Kharagpur, Stanford, and Wharton, Sundar Pichai joined Google in 2004. He led the development of the Google Toolbar, championed the creation of Google Chrome (which became the world's #1 browser), and oversaw Google Drive, Android, and Google Apps.

How does Alphabet's dual-class share structure protect long-term executive vision?

Alphabet maintains a multi-class share structure: Class A (GOOGL, 1 vote per share), Class B (super-voting shares with 10 votes per share held by Larry Page and Sergey Brin), and Class C (GOOG, non-voting shares), ensuring the founders retain voting control over long-term moonshots.

What corporate governance structure coordinates Alphabet's Other Bets subsidiaries?

Alphabet operates Other Bets (such as Waymo, Verily, Calico, and Wing) with independent CEOs, board oversight, and outside venture capital co-investors, incentivizing subsidiary leadership through equity units tied directly to individual company performance.

What is Sundar Pichai's strategic vision for Alphabet in the era of artificial general intelligence (AGI)?

Sundar Pichai envisions AI as the most profound technology humanity is working on, more profound than fire or electricity, positioning Google DeepMind and Alphabet to build universally accessible, helpful, and responsible AI that solves humanity's greatest scientific, medical, and educational challenges.

Who is the CEO of Google?

Sundar Pichai serves as CEO of both Google and Alphabet. He famously rose through the ranks by brilliantly building the Google Chrome web browser. He succeeded the founders (Larry Page and Sergey Brin), who essentially retired from daily management to spend their massive billions on philanthropy and experimental technology.

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Content is for informational purposes only. Not financial advice. Data sourced from SEC filings, annual reports, and public records. See our full disclaimer and methodology.