In 2015, Google changed the structure of the company, making Alphabet the parent company. While Pichai was the CEO of Google, Page and Brin were the CEO and President of Alphabet.
Page and Brin explained:
Page and Brin will remain active as co-founders, shareholders and board members of Alphabet.
Speaking about Pichai, the founders said, “Sundar brings humility and a deep passion for technology to our users, partners and our employees every day. He’s worked closely with us for 15 years, through the formation of Alphabet, as CEO of Google, and a member of the Alphabet Board of Directors. He shares our confidence in the value of the Alphabet structure, and the ability it provides us to tackle big challenges through technology. There is no one that we have relied on more since Alphabet was founded, and no better person to lead Google and Alphabet into the future.”
I’m excited about Alphabet’s long term focus on tackling big challenges through technology. Thanks to Larry & Sergey, we have a timeless mission, enduring values and a culture of collaboration & exploration – a strong foundation we’ll continue to build on https://t.co/tSVsaj4FsR
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) December 4, 2019
In an email sent to employees, Pichai has said that this transition will not affect the Alphabet structure or the day-to-day work.
He said:
The various Alphabet divisions, of which Google is one, are often described as “independent companies,” but the companies frequently collaborate together, share resources, or get spun off or merged with Google.