Google names UK executive as president for Europe, Middle East and Africa

Debbie Weinstein said she will focus on growing the firm’s AI technology in her new role.

Google has named Debbie Weinstein, a senior executive for the tech giant in the UK, as its president in Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Until now, Ms Weinstein has been the US firm’s vice president and managing director in the UK and Ireland, having previously worked at Unilever.

She said her focus will be on “unlocking AI-powered growth for everyone”, calling the current AI boom a “pivotal” time for the tech giant.

Google has joined many of its rivals in launching a string of high-profile generative AI products in recent times, led by the firm’s generative AI-powered assistant, Gemini.

“Europe, the Middle East and Africa is an amazingly diverse and varied region, but the enormous growth opportunity that AI can create is universal,” she said.

“My focus will be on unlocking that AI-powered growth for everyone – users, businesses, partners and governments across every part of the region.

“I’m excited to be stepping into this role at a pivotal time, in a company where I’ve spent the last ten years and leading a region where I’ve spent much of my life.”

Google employs more than 29,000 people across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with 56 offices across 35 countries in those regions working on many of the firm’s largest products, including its search engine, the Android mobile operating system and its Chrome web browser.

Its AI research arm, at Google DeepMind, is also led from London.

Philipp Schindler, Google senior vice president and chief business officer, said: “This is the AI era and we are only just beginning to see its transformative impact on business and society.

“In such a pivotal moment for technology, I’m thrilled we’ve appointed a visionary leader to be our President of Google EMEA.

“Debbie brings a track record of unlocking growth that benefits everyone, alongside the passion and focus needed to help our customers succeed, as we bring the best of Google’s Gemini-era to everyone across EMEA.”

This story originally appeared in The Standard.