Sundar Pichai: The Brilliant Mind Who is Leading Alphabet Inc.
Sundar Pichai is the Chief Executive Officer of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company. He is considered one of the most influential digital innovators of the 21st century, due to the impressive legacy of accomplishments he has achieved in his career. His work with Google stands out above all else, and has made him into a universally-recognized public figure and tech celebrity. But who is the man leading one of the world’s largest and most successful companies? Here’s a deeper look into Sundar Pichai’s impressive achievements and the methods that have led him to success.
Early Life
Sundar Pichai was born on July 12, 1972 in Tamil Nadu, India to his father, Raghunath Pichai, and his mother, Lakshmi. He was the second of four siblings, and was the only boy in the family. His father was an electrical engineer who worked for the British conglomerate GEC, and his mother was a stenographer.
Sundar attended Padma Seshadri Bala Bhavan, a highly-competitive school in Chennai, India. He was determined to succeed from an early age, and his teachers describe him as being very ambitious. He was a top-performer in academics, especially in mathematics, and he was a particularly quick learner.
Career & Education
Sundar Pichai earned his Bachelors’ and Masters’ degrees in Metallurgical Engineering from IIT Kharagpur. He then went on to earn his MBA at Wharton, one of the top business schools in the United States.
He first joined Google in 2004, working as Vice President of Product Management under Eric Schmidt. Over the next ten years, Sundar would go on to lead a variety of important Google projects, including the successful launch of the Chrome browser, the development of the Chrome OS, and the proliferation of Google Drive and Google Apps. On October 24, 2015, Sundar became the CEO of Google, replacing the previous CEO, Larry Page. Larry then moved to the role of CEO of Alphabet Inc., Google’s parent company.
In December 2019, Sundar Pichai was appointed as the CEO of Alphabet Inc., succeeding Larry Page. This appointment solidified Sundar’s authority leading the world’s most successful tech company.
Leadership Style & Accomplishments
Sundar’s leadership style is driven by the goal of creating a better future for all. He has said on many occasions that he hopes to build technology in the service of humanity, and his focus is on creating products that are accessible to everyone.
He’s been credited with modernizing Google’s corporate culture, with initiatives such as increasing transparency, improving employee benefits, and supporting diverse groups in the workforce. Sundar has also been instrumental in improving the efficiency of Google’s operations and has made improvements to Google’s search engine, expanding it to its current global reach.
In his decade at Google, Sundar has had many major accomplishments, such as:
• Developing the Chrome browser.
• Creating the Chrome OS, which powers Chromebooks.
• Bringing Google Drive and Google Apps to market.
• Developing Google’s AI-Focused Algorithms.
• Creating the Google Hangouts messaging service.
• Expanding Google’s global search engine presence.
• Making Google’s mobile apps user-friendly.
• Designing the Pixel smartphone line.
• Establishing Google’s virtual assistant, Google Home.
• Making Google a major player in the cloud computing market.
Philanthropy & Community Support
Sundar is a long-time supporter of global education initiatives and social causes. He has committed millions of dollars to support underprivileged children in India, partnering with many charitable organizations to improve access to education. He has also donated significantly to a variety of healthcare initiatives, such as contributing to fight global epidemics and providing medical supplies in developing nations
In the United States, Sundar is an advocate for the rights of immigrant children and families, donating to organizations that support them. He has also worked to provide access to technology for underserved communities, in an effort to close the digital divide.
Sundar Pichai is an exceptional leader and innovator, leading Alphabet Inc. and its many subsidiary companies to success. His legacy of success is due to his commitment to creating products that are accessible to everyone. He has accomplished much in his career and has also been an outstanding philanthropist, contributing to global education initiatives and charitable causes. He is a shining example of how success and giving back can go hand-in-hand.
