The big news in Googlea4a4s quarterly earnings call this afternoon was the shift at the top of the company, with Eric Schmidt stepping down from his role as chief executive while continuing on at Google as executive chairman and co-founder Larry Page taking his place.
Schmidt, Page, and co-founder Sergey Brin answered a few questions about the change, which is scheduled to take effect April 4. The big emphasis was on continuity. Until now, Schmidt said, the three men have led the company as a &''triumvirate.&'' And while the change simplifies the structure and gives them better-defined individual roles, theya4a4ll still discuss all of the big decisions together.
&''I don&'t anticipate any material changes in any of our strategies,a4 Schmidt said, adding that the three men plan to continue working together for a long time.
Still, the event did feel a bit like a retirement party, or at least like the torch was being passed. Brin and Page kept praising Schmidt for the great job hea4a4d done. Schmidt, meanwhile, said a4ALarry is ready a4 Ita4a4s time for him to have a shot at running this.a4 (Page was Googlea4a4s first CEO, but he stepped down from that role when the company hired Schmidt in 2001.)
a4AA decadea4a4s a long time to be a CEO,a4 Schmidt concluded. a4AIa4a4m very much looking forward to the new role, a more strategic role.a4
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Companies: Google
People: Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, Sergey Brin
Companies: Google
People: Eric Schmidt, Larry Page, Sergey Brin
Anthony is a senior editor at VentureBeat, as well as its reporter on media, advertising, and social networks. Before joining the site in 2008, Anthony worked at the Hollister Free Lance, where he won awards from the California Newspaper Publishers Association for breaking news coverage and writing. He attended Stanford University and now lives in San Francisco. Reach him at anthony@venturebeat.com. (All story pitches should also be sent to tips@venturebeat.com) You can also follow Anthony on Twitter.
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