This is an interesting move:
Google has lost another senior executive to Facebook with the departure of the search giant’s VP of global communications.
Elliot Schrage, Google’s VP of global communications and public affairs is to take up the role of VP of communications and public affairs at Facebook based in the US.
His departure follows the recent departure of VP of global online sales and operations Sheryl Sandberg.
Elliot was at Google for less than two years (correction, he joined in Oct. 2005), but he was a major force there. This feels like Sheryl’s building her team…
John,
you often report on when executives join or leave companies (i.e. media companies).
Since much of your view on how media works revolves around conversation, I’m wondering whether you could explain more about how such arrivals or departures of “senior executives” might play a role in the way the company/organization communicates with its audience (and/or stakeholders).
Otherwise, I am left wondering (like Woody Allen) “what did he say?” or maybe even (like Miles Davis) “so what?”
BTW: here’s a really neat-o 2 min. tech tutorial:
(for your listening pleasure 😉
😀 nmw
NMW – I’d love to, but in this case, not sure I have a lot more to say. I like Elliot a lot, it was interesting that he left after less than two years, and it signals that Facebook is getting serious about the Big Issues it will face – privacy, etc.
I understand what you mean — and/but I am left wondering (if there is not much to say about the person): who cares?
If there are “Big Issues” to face, then maybe speculating on how such issues could be “resolved” might be more interesting than mentioning whether someone has arrived and/or left.
If the primary significance of a website such as Google or Facebook is “which executives work there”, then what does that mean for “conversational media” and/or similar “web 2.0” phenomena?
Personally, I find talking about “leaders” a little anachronistic — IMHO what matters are (as you say) the issues.
The migration is in full swing. First everyone leaves Microsoft for Google, then Google for Facebook. Who will they move to from Facebook? Cause im sure it is going to happen sooner rather than later!
Well.. Elliot have been at Google for around two years. Career advisor’s have always told me to not stay at a company for more than three years since changing jobs often moves you a step further up on the career ladder.
But I think that the best people will always leave a company fairly quickly. The best people will always try to implement changes and ideas. At some stage the company that you work for will not accept your ideas or they will see them as “We did that in project x,y and z. Anything new that you have come up with?”.
When career focused people do get their ideas implemented they will always seek for new opportunities. The best people will always leave.. Maybe after one year or two-three years.
I think that since Cindy McCaffrey left Google in December 2004 and Facebook’s popularity has grown other executives are looking to be part of the next big thing on the Internet. They were probably lured with stock options and are betting that Facebook will be the next billion dollar company.
I belive that this was a strong move as Facebook will only get larger. Google has disappointed some users recently with its monsterous size. Once an online company is seen as have as much market share as google has obatained the general public seems to feel almost threatened I feel. I still love google myself but I have heard other site owners shun google lately.