15 people behind Google's success

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Rahaf Makarati
Sep 21 2011
Technology
15 people behind Google's success
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15. Former Google product and engineering executives Josh McFarland and Mark Ayzenshtat. Created Google AdWords’ API. Now CEOs and founders of TellApart.

14. Joe Sriver, Google’s first user interface designer. He led UI design for many of Google’s products including AdSense, Video, Print, Images, and Groups. He was also a key player behind Google’s Taskbar, AdSense, and Gmail’s keyboard shortcuts. He also developed patented technologies used in Google’s Print, Video, Gmail, and Desktop products. He left Google in 2007 and founded DoApp. 

13. Andy Rubin, the man behind Android. Google had bought his company, Android Inc., in Aug. 2005. He is since Senior Vice President of Mobile at Google.

12. Paul Buchheit, the man behind Gmail and behind Google’s motto "Don't be evil". He also developed the original prototype for Google AdSense. He left the company and founded Friendfeed in 2007, which was later acquired by Facebook in 2009. Currently Paul is an angel investor.

11. David Filo, co-founder of Yahoo who encouraged and advised Larry page and Sergey Brin in the early days to start their own company and develop the search engine.

10. Andy Bechtolsheim from Sun, the first investor in Google. Invested 100.000$ in 1998 to launch the company.

9. L. John Doerr, advisor and investor. He is a member of Board of Directors since May 1999.

8. Susan Wojcicki, the woman who rented her garage to Google’s co-founders in the early days of Google’s existence. Vice President & Product Manager of Google’s advertising and measurement platform products, including AdWords, AdSense, DoubleClick and Google Analytics. Susan became Google’s 18th employee as marketing manager in 1999.

7. Marissa Mayer, joined Google in 1999. She is the Vice President of Location and Local Services. She is also considered significantly responsible for the success of the UIs behind Google Search and Gmail.

6. David C. Drummond was officially introduced in 2002 as Vice President of corporate development and Chief Legal Officer. Drummond has significantly assisted Larry Page and Sergey Bring during the initial rounds of funding for Google.

5. Eric Schmidt, He became the CEO of Google in 2001 but stepped down for Larry Page in April 2011.

4. Larry Page and Sergey Brin’s parents. Larry’s father was an early pioneer in the field of artificial intelligence, and reportedly gave his young son his first computer when Larry was just six years old. Sergey’s father taught math at the University of Maryland, and it was from that school's College Park campus that Brin earned an undergraduate degree in computer science and math.

3. Carl Page , Larry’s brother. Experienced in venture capitalism. Advised Sergey and Larry.

2. Sergey Brin, co-founder. Held the position of president of technology at Google from 2001 to 2010.

1. Larry Page, co-founder. Starting April 2011 he became CEO.

There are obviously more people that helped shape Google. Please feel free to add a name in the comments.