Eric Schmidt speaks during a National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence conference November 5, 2019, in Washington
Alex Wong | Getty Images
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt is no longer serving as an advisor to the company, according to a Saturday report. Schmidt stopped serving as technical advisor in February, according to CNET, which cited an unnamed source.
Schmidt’s exit would reflect Google’s structural evolution in recent years. It established umbrella company Alphabet alongside Other Bets like Waymo in 2015. In December, co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin stepped down from their respective roles of CEO and president as Google chief Sundar Pichai became CEO of the larger Alphabet.
Schmidt is also part of Google’s history, having joined as CEO from Novell in 2001 and led the company through its Nasdaq debut in 2004. In 2011, Page replaced him as Google CEO, but he stayed on the board and took on the title of executive chairman of the board.
A Google representative did not immediately respond to CNBC’s requests for comment.
In December 2017, Alphabet said in a statement that Schmidt would be leaving the Alphabet executive chairman post and serve as an advisor focusing on science and technology issues.
“Larry, Sergey, Sundar and I all believe that the time is right in Alphabet’s evolution for this transition. The Alphabet structure is working well, and Google and the Other Bets are thriving,” Schmidt was quoted as saying at the time. He said he wanted to focus more on philanthropy, among other things. Since 2016 he has been chairman of the U.S. Defense Innovation Board.
On Wednesday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who has been spearheading his state’s coronavirus response, said in a tweet that Schmidt would become “chair of a blue-ribbon commission that will reimagine how our state can Build Back Better.”
Last year Schmidt did not seek reelection to the board as his latest term came to an end, but he kept his title as technology advisor. He owns 4.1 million shares of Alphabet Class C stock, according to FactSet.
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