The layoffs follow a broader effort by Google to reallocate employees and resources to support further investments in new technologies such as AI as advertising growth slows. CEO Sundar Pichai told employees in January that further job cuts were likely in 2024, but did not specify which teams would be affected. .
Porat noted that the reorganization will impact domestic and international finance teams, including Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Porat also wrote that the company would create “hubs” for more centralized operations in locations such as Bangalore, Mexico City, Dublin, Chicago and Atlanta. He noted that the company plans to maintain a significant presence in the San Francisco Bay Area.
“For the past year, we have been talking about creating vibrant, culturally strong Finnougler hubs around the world,” Porat wrote. “This strategy makes us a more efficient organization and allows us to work 24 hours a day while respecting Fin’ooglers’ work hours.”
Fin’oogler is Google’s term for finance employees.
“We are sad to say goodbye to our talented teammates and friends who we hold dear. We know this change will be difficult,” Porat wrote at the end of his note.
“As we have said, we are investing responsibly in our biggest priorities and important opportunities going forward,” a Google spokesperson told CNBC in an email. “To best position us for these opportunities, in late 2023 and into 2024, we will make changes, remove layers and help many of our teams work more efficiently and better. We aligned our resources to our biggest product priorities.”