Eric Schmidt served as CEO of Alphabet for a verified duration of 9 years 7 months (3,528 days), from Aug 6, 2001 until Apr 4, 2011. During this tenure, Eric Schmidt guided Alphabet across major corporate milestones before stepping down from the chief executive role.
Executive Succession & Corporate Facts
- Predecessor
- Larry Page (Co-Founder & CEO)
- Successor
- Larry Page (Co-Founder & CEO)
- Database Tenure Rank
- #44 Longest-Serving CEO in Database (View Full Rankings →)
- Company Founded
- Sep 4, 1998 (Mountain View, California)
- Known Aliases
- Eric Emerson Schmidt
Tenure Milestones & Transition Timeline
Dr. Eric Schmidt Named Chief Executive Officer of Google
Google announced Novell chairman and former Sun Microsystems CTO Eric Schmidt appointed CEO, bringing veteran management alongside Page and Brin.
Google Completes $1.67 Billion Initial Public Offering
Schmidt oversaw Google's unique Dutch auction IPO, taking the company public on NASDAQ under ticker GOOG at $85 per share.
Google Announces Acquisition of YouTube for $1.65 Billion
Schmidt led the all-stock purchase of video streaming pioneer YouTube, creating the world's largest online video destination.
Eric Schmidt Announces Plan to Step Down as CEO; Larry Page to Take Over
Schmidt announced leadership changes clarifying management roles, with co-founder Larry Page assuming the CEO post on April 4, 2011.
Eric Schmidt Steps Down as Google CEO to Become Executive Chairman
Schmidt concluded his 10-year CEO tenure on April 4, 2011, transitioning to Executive Chairman to focus on external relations and partnerships.
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