Nick Fox appointed head of Google Search and ads, replacing Prabhakar Raghavan

Nick Fox has been appointed to lead Google's Knowledge & Information unit, replacing Prabhakar Raghavan, who has held the position since 2018. Google CEO Sundar Pichai announced this leadership change in a Google blogpost, which oversees crucial areas such as search, ads, commerce, and Google Earth.

Following his departure from this role, Raghavan will take on the position of chief technologist at Google. This transition signifies a shift in leadership for one of the company's key divisions as Fox prepares to guide the future of Google's core products.

“Prabhakar has decided it’s time to make a big leap in his own career. After 12 years leading teams across Google, he’ll return to his computer science roots and take on the role of Chief Technologist, Google. In this role, he’ll partner closely with me and Google leads to provide technical direction and leadership and grow our culture of tech excellence. Nick Fox, a longtime Googler and member of Prabhakar’s leadership team, will be stepping up to lead K&I, which includes our Search, Ads, Geo, and Commerce products.” said Sundar Pichai.

Nick Fox, who has been with Google since 2003, previously part of Raghavan’s leadership team, Fox served as the vice president of product and design for Google Assistant, which utilises artificial intelligence.

Raghavan, who has led the Knowledge & Information unit since 2018, will transition to the role of chief technologist at Google. This leadership change reflects a strategic shift within the company as Fox steps into his new role overseeing key areas like search, ads, commerce, and Google Earth.

“Nick has demonstrated leadership across nearly every facet of K&I, from Product and Design in Search and Assistant, to our Shopping, Travel, and Payments products. He was also a pioneering leader in Ads, where he helped establish a rigorous quality and user-focused approach that remains key to our success. Nick has launched innovative consumer products like Google Fi and spearheaded complex initiatives such as RCS messaging. I frequently turn to Nick to tackle our most challenging product questions and he consistently delivers progress with tenacity, speed, and optimism.” Pichai added.