Laszlo Bock will stay on as an advisor to the company. His replacement, Eileen Naughton, who was vice president of sales and operations for Google in the UK and Ireland, will now be vice president of people operations (human resources).
Bock, who came to Google from General Electric, is credited with changing “hiring at Google from a clunky, arduous process that relied on gimmicks like math puzzles on billboards, to a smooth engine that allowed the company to grow to nearly 65,000 employees in less than two decades,” writes Quartz reporter Oliver Staley.
“He helped usher in employee friendly policies like free meals and shuttle buses, and introduced take-your-parents-to-work days,” Staley writes. “Bock argued that paying for outside training is a waste of money, against “stacking” employee reviews, and for breaking up the salary structure to pay superstars more than their peers.”
Staley, however, notes that despite Bock’s efforts Google has had to deal with obstacles and has “become bogged down by the bureaucracy and politics that bedevil all big organizations.” Naughton served in executive roles at Fortune Magazine, Time magazine, YouTube and as vice president of sales for Google before heading up sales and operations in the UK and Ireland for firm. She also was co-founder of Google’s women’s organization, Women@Google.