Eric Schmidt

Eric Schmidt is an accomplished technologist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. As Google’s Chief Executive Officer, he pioneered the company’s transformation from a Silicon Valley startup to a global leader in technology. He served there as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman from 2001-2011, Executive Chairman from 2011-2018, and most recently as Technical Advisor. Under his leadership, Google dramatically scaled its infrastructure and diversified its product offerings while maintaining a strong culture of innovation.

Eric currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of The Broad Institute and on the board of the Mayo Clinic and the Advisory Board at UC Berkeley, among others. He is a Gulfstream pilot, and his philanthropic efforts through The Schmidt Family Foundation and the Schmidt Ocean Institute focus on climate change, including the support of ocean and marine life studies at sea, as well as education and cutting-edge research and technology in natural sciences and engineering.

Additionally, he is the co-founder of Schmidt Futures, which bets early on exceptional people making the world better, applying science and technology thoughtfully, and bringing people together across fields. In 2019, Eric and his wife Wendy announced a new $1 billion philanthropic commitment to identify and support talent across disciplines and around the globe, beginning with the launch of Rise, a partnership with Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust to increase opportunities for extraordinary young people and empower them to serve others. He also serves as Chairman of Steel Perlot, an AI and analytics company of companies.

Most recently, he founded the Special Competitive Studies Project, a non-profit initiative focused on strengthening America’s long-term AI and technological competitiveness in national security, the economy, and society.

Eric is the co-author of the bestselling books The Age of AI: And Our Human Future, The New Digital Age, How Google Works, and Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell. He is also the host of “Reimagine with Eric Schmidt,” a series of conversations with leaders exploring how society can build a brighter future after the global coronavirus pandemic.