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 The Internet giant is merging its northern and western European
division with the unit covering southern and eastern Europe, Middle
East and Africa, the source said.
The shake-up follows a year of setbacks for the company on political
and regulatory fronts on issues ranging from antitrust to privacy to
how much tax it pays in different European nations, as well as
fraught relations with some European industries including media and
telecom groups.
The decision was taken to simplify the organization, both for
commercial reasons as well as to work more effectively with business
partners and policy makers.
Google's regional headquarters will remain in Dublin, where it
employs thousands of staff, and the reorganization will not result
in job losses, the source said.
The U.S. company has become a lightning rod for criticism in Europe
of aggressive Silicon Valley business practices, a role reversal
from previous years when it was revered as a standard-bearer of
innovation and new economic possibilities.
In response, Google has argued that for Europe to remain competitive
in global markets, it needs to form a single digital market instead
of relying on national regulations in its 28-member states that
often act to protect local industries.
OLYMPIC ROWER
Matt Brittin, who previously led Google's northern and western
European division, will head up the combined Europe, Middle East and
Africa operation while Carlo d'Asaro Biondo, formerly head of the
other regional unit, will take on a strategy role, the source said.
Brittin, a former Olympic rower for Great Britain, joined Google in
2007 to run its UK operations, leaving newspaper publishing group
Trinity Mirror where he was director of strategy. He will remain
based in London.
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D'Asaro Biondo, previously an executive with media group Lagardère,
AOL Europe and computer services company Unisys, will continue to
work from Paris.
He will manage Google's strategic partnerships in the region, which
include working to deepen ties with newspaper publishers, telecom
operators and carmakers.
Brittin will appear in Brussels on Thursday to argue the company's
case that it serves as a growth engine for European business,
especially for small and medium-sized enterprises, because the
Internet helps create a level playing field.
He will announce Google's plan to fund a digital job-training
program for 1 million Europeans over the next two years, the source
said.
News of the company's European reorganization was first reported in
the Financial Times late on Thursday.
(Additional reporting by Subrat Patnaik in Bengaluru; Editing by Tom
Pfeiffer and Pravin Char)
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