Google's long-serving director of news ecosystem development, Madhav Chinnappa, laid off after 13 years
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London: Google's Director of News Ecosystem Development, Madhav Chinnappa, has been laid off by the company after working there for 13 years.
Chinnappa, an Indian-origin news executive based in London, shared the news on LinkedIn, expressing pride in his accomplishments during his tenure at Google. He joined the tech giant in 2010 as the head of strategic partnerships at Google News.
In his heartfelt post on LinkedIn, Chinnappa reminisced about the various projects he led at Google, including the Digital News Initiative and the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund. He revealed that he is currently on "gardening leave," a period when employees are not required to come to work but are paid their full salary, allowing them time to contemplate their next career move.
Chinnappa mentioned that he is in a privileged position to have some time to figure out his next steps. He emphasised the importance of attending to pressing family issues and stated that he will take August off and spend September looking after his mother in India. He plans to start thinking about work in October with a view to pursuing new endeavours in 2024.
Throughout his career at Google, Chinnappa worked on several significant initiatives, including the Digital News Initiative and the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges. He also played a crucial role in the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund, which showcased Google's commitment to supporting the news ecosystem in times of vulnerability. Additionally, he expressed pride in convincing the Doodle team to create a Eurovision Doodle.
Chinnappa acknowledged that his achievements were a result of teamwork, and he will miss his colleagues dearly. He encouraged others to reach out with ideas or thoughts during this time of transition.
According to Chinnappa's LinkedIn profile, he holds a BA in Economics and Policy Studies from Rice University and has 29 years of professional experience, including work with BBC, United Business Media (UBM), and Associated Press Television News (APTN).
The mass layoffs announced by Google in January affected around 12,000 people worldwide. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai explained that the job cuts were necessitated by the economic downturn and were made after careful consideration of the company's products, people, and priorities.
