Charles Muchoki | Africa Guardian
Debbie Weinstein, a seasoned UK executive at Google, has been named the company’s president for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA). With a decade at Google and a career foundation at Unilever, Weinstein brings a wealth of experience to her new role during what she describes as a “pivotal” time for the tech giant.
In her new position, Weinstein aims to harness the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to drive growth across the region. “My focus will be on unlocking that AI-powered growth for everyone – users, businesses, partners, and governments across every part of the region,” she stated.
Weinstein steps into her leadership role as Google continues to expand its generative AI offerings, including its latest innovation, the AI-powered tool Gemini. She highlighted the region’s diversity and vast opportunities, emphasizing AI’s universal potential to fuel progress. “EMEA is an amazingly diverse and varied region, but the enormous growth opportunity that AI can create is universal,” she added.
Google’s operations in EMEA are extensive, with over 29,000 employees across 56 offices in 35 countries. These teams contribute to the development of key products like Google Search, Android, and Chrome. Additionally, the company’s AI research arm, Google DeepMind, is headquartered in London, reflecting the region’s importance in Google’s global strategy.
Philipp Schindler, Google’s senior vice president and chief business officer, praised Weinstein’s appointment, describing her as a “visionary leader” with a proven track record. “This is the AI era, and we are only just beginning to see its transformative impact on business and society,” Schindler said. “Debbie brings the passion and focus needed to help our customers succeed as we bring the best of Google’s Gemini-era to everyone across EMEA.”
Weinstein’s appointment underscores Google’s commitment to leveraging AI to create opportunities and growth across one of its most dynamic regions.
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