In a major development, Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOGL) SVP of communications and policy Rachel Whetsone is shifting to Uber where she will shoulder similar responsibilities.
Her move has surprised many. Whetstone was known as a Google veteran having being associated with the search engine giant as far back as 2005. But her entry is one of many of Google’s legendary public relations executives assuming top positions across Silicon Valley’s prestigious companies.
Google wields enormous influence on Silicon Valley’s culture and business. Having staff migrating from it to other of Silicon Valley’s elite companies only increases the influence.
Google’s enormous size and an impressive range of strategic issues serve as a high-tech nursery for modern business communications and policy that has few peers. The Google PR diaspora is in charge of communications at several of the leading Valley firms.
Elliot Schrage was instrumental in many of the PR hires for Google between 2005 and 2008. He later joined Facebook Inc (NASDAQ:FB). Most of the people he hired were not conventional corporate PR kinds. Some were involved in politics or law, or specialized in economics, international affairs, and others. The hiring was unusual focusing on strategic thinkers who could operate in environments of high stress and change.
The Google diaspora:
- Facebook: Elliot Schrage, VP of communications and public policy
- Uber: Rachel Whetstone, SVP of policy and communications
- Tesla: Ricardo Reyes, VP of communications and marketing
- Twitter: Gabriel Stricker, chief communications officer
- Yahoo: Anne Espiritu, VP of global public relations
- Square: Aaron Zamost, head of communications
- Pinterest: Barry Schnitt, head of communications
- Lyft: Brandon McCormick
- Google Ventures: David Krane, managing partner (governs communications and marketing in addition to co-managing the fund)
- Snapchat: Jill Hazelbaker, VP of communications and public policy
- Sequoia Capital: Andrew Kovacs, head of communications
- Accel Partners: Larry Yu, managing partner (heading communications)
- The Pranama Collective (PR agency): Brian O’Shaughnessy, partner and co-founder.
