Here are five of the biggest leadership departures and hires at Google Cloud in 2025, including Google’s new global COO and the departure of its cloud security general manager.
Google Cloud has hired some of Microsoft’s top executives so far this year, while also losing some top-notch cybersecurity talent as the cloud giants battle for talent in the AI era.
From the hiring of a new global chief operating officer along with a new president of customer experience to the departure of Google Cloud’s general manager of cybersecurity, the Mountain View, Calif.-based company is shaking up its executive leadership.
Before jumping into the biggest hires and departures this year, let’s take a quick look at where Google Cloud stands in terms of total sales and global cloud computing market share.
[Related: Google Cloud’s 10 New Bold AI Products: Gemini Robotics, AI Coach And Gemma 3]
Google Cloud generated a record $12 billion in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2025, representing a total sales increase of 30 percent year over year.
The company’s operating income in Q4 2024 increased to a record-breaking $2.1 billion, up 142 percent year over year.
Google Cloud is the third largest cloud computing firm in the world with 12 percent share of the global cloud infrastructure services market, tailing Microsoft at 21 percent share and Amazon Web Services (AWS) at 30 percent share, according to data from Synergy Research Group.
CRN breaks down the five biggest Google Cloud hires and executive departures of 2025 so far.
Hiring: Hayete Gallot
New Google Cloud Position: President of Customer Experience
Previous Position: Microsoft, Corporate Vice President, Commercial Solution Areas
Microsoft’s longtime executive is jumping ship to Google Cloud as the company’s new president of customer experience for Google’s global multibillion-dollar commercial business.
Google is moving teams under Gallot’s leadership including its Global Partner Ecosystem & Channels, Global Customer Engineering, Global Solutions & Industries and Strategic Customer Experiences, which includes Google’s innovation centers.
Gallot was with Microsoft for 16 years and was critical in building and running Microsoft’s go-to-market plan for its commercial segments while also managing the company’s more than 150 innovation centers worldwide.
“More than ever, in this era of AI, customers are looking for help to go from idea to business impact quickly,” Gallot said in an email to CRN earlier this year. “With this new organization, I look forward to accelerating our customers’ journeys and adoption of AI and all of our solutions.”
Gallot is scheduled to start in the new role on April 1, reporting to Google Cloud’s President of Global Revenue Matt Renner.
Departure: Sunil Potti
Former Google Cloud Position: General Manager, Vice President of Cloud Security
New Position: Unknown
After six years of leading Google Cloud’s cybersecurity business as general manager and vice president, Sunil Potti left the company in March.
Potti has been involved with major product launches at Google Cloud including the debut of Chronicle Security Operations, known as Google Security Operations in 2022, as well as several GenAI-powered security offerings over the past several years.
“I am leaving Google in March after almost six years of my most fulfilling work experience,” he said on Linkedin recently.
Prior to Google Cloud, he spent four years at Nutanix as its chief product and development officer.
As of mid-March, Potti has yet to unveil what his new position will be.
Hiring: Francis DeSouza
New Google Cloud Position: Chief Operating Officer (COO)
Previous Position: CEO of Illumina
Google Cloud hired longtime tech executive and Illumina CEO Francis DeSouza as its new chief operating officer this year.
Throughout deSouza’s nearly 40-year IT career, he’s held top positions including president of product and services for cybersecurity standout Symantec, as well as CEO of biotechnology firm Illumina from 2016 to 2023.
In 2023, DeSouza co-founded AI research firm Synth Labs. His AI startup received an undisclosed amount of funding last year led by Microsoft’s venture capital fund, M12, and Eric Schmidt’s First Spark Ventures.
“It’s an especially exciting time at Google Cloud as organizations are increasingly looking to leverage the transformative power of GenAI to deliver remarkable outcomes,” said deSouza in a recent LinkedIn post.
Former Google Cloud Position: Head of Global Customer Engineering
New Position: SentinelOne, Senior Vice President of Global Solutions Engineering
Google Cloud’s Steve Regini has left the company this year to join cybersecurity firm SentinelOne to lead the company’s global solutions engineering.
At Google Cloud, he led the global specialist customer engineering organization including API management, security, geospatial, business intelligence as well as some areas of Workspace. He also helped build and scale Google Cloud’s Cloud Security global organization over the past two years.
He is now senior vice president of global solutions engineering for SentinelOne.
“First week here at SentinelOne and the innovation in AI is just incredible,” Regini said on LinkedIn earlier this year. “SentinelOne partners and customers are redefining SOC operations with Singularity AI SIEM and Purple AI. We continue to push the boundaries of AI-driven security solutions.”
Hiring: Rehan Sheikh
New Google Cloud Position: Vice President, Global Silicon Chip Technology and Manufacturing
Previous Position: Microsoft, Vice President of Silicon Manufacturing and Engineering
Rehan Sheikh left Microsoft to join Google Cloud as one of the company’s main silicon chip leaders as vice president of silicon chip technology and manufacturing.
“I am super excited to start this journey and contribute to Google Cloud growth,” said Sheikh in a recent LinkedIn post “I look forward to working with many talented engineers and leaders at Google, and with the industry ecosystem experts.”
Sheikh led efforts to launch Microsoft’s new Azure Cobalt processor and new Azure Maia 100 custom AI accelerator as the company’s vice president of silicon manufacturing and engineering.
He spent the majority of his IT career at Intel from 1997 until 2021. At Intel, Sheikh was responsible for leading silicon engineering and productization as Intel’s chief test and silicon engineering technologist.
