Google's Indian-Origin Director Of News Laid Off After 13 Years: ''In The End...''

Google recently laid off its director of News Ecosystem Development who worked for the company for 13 years. Madhav Chinnappa, the Indian-origin news executive, who is based in London took to LinkedIn to announce the update and expressed pride in what he has accomplished during his nearly 13 years at Google. Notably, he joined Google in 2010 as the head of strategic partnerships at Google News.

In the heartfelt post, he reminisced about the various projects he led at Google, including the Digital News Initiative and the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund.

''I am leaving Google as part of the #googlelayoffs. I am on gardening leave at the moment which allows too much time to contemplate work, career, life, etc. In the end, I am proud of what I have been able to achieve during my almost 13 years at Google,'' he wrote on LinkedIn. 

Notably, 'Gardening leave' is the period when there is no mandate for employees to come to the workplace, but are paid full salary, enabling them to figure out their next career move.

H further said that he is in the “privileged position" of being able to have some time to figure out his next move.

''I am in the privileged position of being able some time to figure that out. In the near term, I have some pressing family issues that need my fuller attention so in the spirit of the Zen proverb that the tea cup must be empty before it can be full, I will take August off and then spend September looking after my mum in India and only start thinking about work in October with a view to doing more things in 2024,'' he added.

Here is the full post:

According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Chinnappa did his BA in Economics and Policy Studies from Rice University and his schooling from Jakarta International School. Prior to Google, he worked with BBC, United Business Media (UBM), and Associated Press Television News (APTN). He has 29 years of professional experience.

Around 12,000 people were affected worldwide by the mass layoffs that Google announced in January this year. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai told staff in a memo that the firm had reviewed its products, people, and priorities, leading to job cuts across geographies and tech. He said the layoffs were necessitated by the economic downturn and required for the long-term health of the company. 

"The fact that these changes will impact the lives of Googlers weighs heavily on me, and I take full responsibility for the decisions that led us here," said Mr Pichai, adding that the cuts were made after careful consideration.