Google consolidates European operations under Matt Brittin
Google has streamlined its European arm by promoting its northern European operations head Matt Brittin to oversee the company’s continent wide strategy – including the Middle East and Africa.
Previously the business was split along geographic lines between north and south but will now be treated as a single entity, according to the New York Times, making it one of the search giant’s largest jurisdictions with 742m people.
Google has been moved to act in order to more effectively deal with a series of regulatory complications arising from European accusations that it has been dodging taxes and operates an effective monopoly. It has also been hit by legislation, such as the so-called ‘right to be forgotten’, demanding that it remove search links for irrelevant and outdated information.
Carlo d’Asaro Biondo, who previously managed Google’s work in the south of Europe will be tasked with overseeing the firms strategic relationships with policy makers and commercial partners.