{"id":29063,"date":"2020-07-28T09:58:54","date_gmt":"2020-07-28T07:58:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/?p=29063"},"modified":"2021-07-27T13:46:47","modified_gmt":"2021-07-27T11:46:47","slug":"insights-thierry-geerts-google","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.euruni.edu\/blog\/insights-thierry-geerts-google\/","title":{"rendered":"“You Have to Take Risks” – Thierry Geerts, Country Director of Google, Belgium & Luxembourg"},"content":{"rendered":"\r\n

Google<\/a> Country Director\u00a0Thierry\u00a0Geerts\u00a0is a charismatic,\u00a0warm\u00a0and inspiring leader.\u00a0We had the pleasure of\u00a0speaking with him last year\u00a0about his book\u00a0\u201cDigitalis: How to Reinvent the World\u201d\u00a0and were delighted to welcome him back for the final event in our summer series of\u00a0virtual\u00a0Learning\u00a0From\u00a0Leaders conferences.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Thierry\u2019s\u00a0conversation\u00a0with\u00a0Peter\u00a0Vanham, author of \u201cBefore I Was CEO\u201d, inspired all who tuned in. Prompted by insightful questions from EU students, they discussed geopolitics, the role\u00a0of\u00a0Google in beating coronavirus and the technology of the future.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

The\u00a0full\u00a0event can be watched here<\/a>.\u00a0Read on for highlights from this\u00a0wide-ranging\u00a0and pertinent conversation.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Data and a Digital Future\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Understanding how coronavirus has altered the way we behave is key to shaping an opportunity-rich future\u00a0for us all. Trends in\u00a0Google\u2019s data\u00a0offer insights into\u00a0the economy of tomorrow.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

In the\u00a0physical world,\u00a0Thierry remarked,\u00a0the trend is towards\u00a0de-globalization,\u00a0characterized by\u00a0the rise\u00a0of\u00a0populist politics and stringent border controls.\u00a0However, the digital world\u00a0is global,\u00a0connecting\u00a0us\u00a0to an international\u00a0network of people and services.\u00a0\u201cDuring COVID, people were watching Netflix, a US platform, and going onto\u00a0TikTok, a Chinese app\u201d, Thierry remarked.\u00a0The interconnectedness of digital society is what Thierry\u2019s book\u00a0\u201cDigitalis<\/a>\u201d\u00a0is\u00a0about.\u00a0And the changes he predicted have all\u00a0come true, albeit faster and in more negative circumstances than\u00a0anyone\u00a0could have anticipated.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

This pattern of digital globalization\u00a0has been\u00a0impacted\u00a0by the virus. Both ecommerce and travel have shifted their focus to staying local \u2013 we no longer want to order goods from China, and we\u00a0aren\u2019t\u00a0yet able or willing to cross the world to explore\u00a0other\u00a0continents.\u00a0The pandemic\u00a0has\u00a0also\u00a0had a\u00a0significant\u00a0impact on our global economy. Yet,\u00a0Thierry noted,\u00a0\u201cThere was a lot of business to do during COVID-19,\u00a0but a completely other type of business.\u201d\u00a0During lockdown, \u201cOur services went through the roof: more search, more YouTube and more cloud computing than ever,\u201d he reflected.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Before the virus, travel ads placed by companies including Booking.com and Airbnb\u00a0were\u00a0an important source of income for\u00a0Google.\u00a0This\u00a0meant a hit to Google\u2019s revenue\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0several months\u00a0during which\u00a0travel was\u00a0impossible. However,\u00a0travel\u00a0businesses\u00a0are now\u00a0bouncing back\u00a0with new campaigns\u00a0that place\u00a0a greater emphasis on local holidays.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google\u2019s agile\u00a0advertising\u00a0platform supported businesses of all sizes to pivot quickly\u00a0when the pandemic began,\u00a0offering\u00a0a level of\u00a0flexibility\u00a0that’s\u00a0impossible with traditional media<\/strong>.\u00a0Given\u00a0the pervasive\u00a0uncertainty,\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0delicate\u00a0position\u00a0many companies\u00a0find themselves in now,\u00a0we can expect to see a greater focus that ever on digital campaigns.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Support<\/strong>ing\u00a0<\/strong>the Global Effort Against Coronavirus<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google\u00a0has\u00a0used its\u00a0policies,\u00a0platforms\u00a0and expertise to\u00a0support\u00a0the\u00a0worldwide\u00a0effort to tackle coronavirus.\u00a0\u00a0\u201cWe want to do as much as we can for society\u201d, Thierry shared.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Which is why all\u00a0Google\u00a0staff\u00a0are\u00a0working\u00a0from home until the end of the year. There are some exceptions \u2013 engineers working with hardware, for example, were able to return to their\u00a0offices\u00a0from July 1\u00a0–\u00a0but otherwise Google is at home.\u00a0\u201cIt would be better for business to go back to the office because the office is useful for human connection, but we have to take the responsibility, we can afford it and we are organized to do it so let\u2019s do it and leave the opportunities for other companies that really need to be in touch\u201d, Thierry\u00a0commented.\u00a0With a huge global workforce,\u00a0Thierry estimated that by asking their 100,000 employees to stay home,\u00a0they\u2019d\u00a0be preventing anywhere from half a million to a million\u00a0instances of contact, thereby supporting efforts to slow the spread of the virus<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As an\u00a0inherently\u00a0digital company, it was easier for Google to make that decision than most. Yet\u00a0human connections spark the work that they do\u00a0and being 100% remote has been a significant change.\u00a0Recognizing the increased intensity of working in front of a computer all day,\u00a0they\u2019ve\u00a0introduced new practices to accommodate this shift.\u00a0\u201cWe believe in a work-life mix and not a work\u2013life balance. It is not \u2018work 40 hours and then have a nice life\u2019. It is being able to mix that\u201d, Thierry commented.\u00a0\u201cAs a company we won a lot of efficiency\u201d, he said, now, \u201cWhen we meet we are more effective than ever before\u201d; \u201cSomething that will take me one hour now would have taken one day in normal times\u201d.\u00a0And they have paid this forward to employees, offering greater flexibility and time\u00a0off to those who need it.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Aside from taking care of a huge global workforce, Google has been collaborating with governments\u00a0around the world\u00a0to\u00a0ensure the right information\u00a0appears\u00a0in search results and on YouTube<\/strong>.\u00a0They\u2019ve\u00a0also managed a 30-fold\u00a0increase in\u00a0the\u00a0use of Google\u00a0Meet, a product which earns them no money, in order to connect people to loved ones\u00a0and facilitate\u00a0widespread\u00a0transition to remote work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\u201cObviously\u00a0we cannot solve it all,\u00a0but we can help a lot and that is what we are trying to do\u201d, said Thierry. Accuracy of information and video conferencing,\u00a0however,\u00a0\u201cis not enough because the economy has had a very hard hit\u201d, he added.\u00a0Which\u00a0is why Google has\u00a0announced \u2018Grow with Google<\/a>\u2019,\u00a0an initiative\u00a0offering\u00a0digital\u00a0training\u00a0to individuals and\u00a0businesses designed to\u00a0support\u00a0the recovery of\u00a0the\u00a0global economy.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Let\u2019s<\/strong>\u00a0Get\u00a0<\/strong>Geopolitic<\/strong>al<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Choosing to support people\u00a0and\u00a0companies\u00a0to navigate\u00a0challenges\u00a0caused by coronavirus is\u00a0a\u00a0generous yet\u00a0clear-cut\u00a0decision. But how does Google manage the blurred lines of geopolitics? Several EU students\u00a0asked Thierry about the tricky problem of borders on Google Maps.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

\"Google<\/figure>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Demonstrating the transparency and honesty that marks a great leader, Thierry admitted;\u00a0\u201cGoogle cannot do anything alone \u2013 we depend on our users, we depend on governments. We try to follow all the rules in the world but sometimes it is hard.\u201d\u00a0When warring countries are in\u00a0conflict over\u00a0a border,\u00a0that puts\u00a0Google in a difficult position.\u00a0Ultimately, until the dispute is settled, they are working with blurred lines<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Other politically charged situations, however, have been simpler for Google to navigate. The company exited the Chinese market after their platform was hacked and\u00a0Gmail\u00a0accounts\u00a0were no longer secure: \u201cI am very proud that Google is a company that takes its principles seriously and that we went out of China the moment that it was not possible to do business in the way that we believe in.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0As hard as it may have been to turn away from what had been a successful market, being a values-led company made that decision clear-cut.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Technology and the Future<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

It is widely agreed that there is no going \u2018back to normal\u2019 once the virus is under control. The technological and cultural shifts caused by the pandemic have ushered in the future faster than we imagined, and no industry will be unaffected.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

At Google, recognizing that employees have adjusted to, and enjoyed, a remote-working lifestyle,\u00a0they\u2019re\u00a0planning to implement more flexible and remote working policies<\/strong>. Thierry imagines\u00a0this will involve a few compulsory days working collaboratively at the office\u00a0each week, with remote working optional the rest of the time.\u00a0They\u00a0won\u2019t\u00a0go completely remote\u00a0yet\u00a0because,\u00a0\u201cTechnology doesn\u2019t have the ability to replace the human factor and that is something we still need to learn.\u201d\u00a0But remote work is the future,\u00a0even though,\u00a0\u201cPolicy, people and a lot of companies are still stuck in a prior world.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

Google\u2019s\u00a0gaze is set on the future and\u00a0they continue to\u00a0innovate\u00a0\u201cso that technology is out of the way and you can be more human\u201d<\/strong>, Thierry explained.\u00a0\u201cMachine learning is the technology we use to create a better world\u201d,\u00a0he\u00a0shared, which is why Google Translate is constantly improving and why we can find relevant recommendations on YouTube. \u201cWe believe in what we call ambient computing [\u2026] everything that is connected to electricity can be intelligent \u2013\u00a0Google assistance can be built into your fridge, your car, your watch \u2013 so you don\u2019t always have to take your smartphone with you.\u201d\u00a0Ambient computing is\u00a0driven by\u00a0the idea that these intelligent services will surround us wherever we go, rather than being accessed via a computerized interface\u00a0like\u00a0a phone or\u00a0a laptop.\u00a0This is not expected to replace our existing devices but to add another layer of connectivity, personalization and convenience.\u00a0By integrating, for example, biometric data with adaptable design, the world around us will become much more personal.\u00a0And aside from\u00a0the\u00a0Internet of\u00a0Things<\/a>\u00a0– connected homes, devices and cars \u2013\u00a0Google is now investing in\u00a0healthcare<\/strong>.\u00a0The current\u00a0approach to medicine treats symptoms rather than offering preventative strategies to maintain health<\/strong>.\u00a0Artificial intelligence, Google believes,\u00a0will have a huge impact on the way we approach healthcare in the future.\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

How to Work for Google<\/strong>\u00a0<\/h2>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n

As\u00a0a Google\u00a0Country Director, Thierry\u2019s is a job that many people covet.\u00a0He shared insights and advice for getting a job at one of the world\u2019s foremost digital companies.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n