Matt Brittin, Google’s Europe, Middle East and Africa president (pictured), revealed he will step down at the start of 2025 after 18 years working at the company.

In a LinkedIn post the executive said he planned a year career break following his departure to spend time with his family.

Brittin spent a decade overseeing the internet giant’s operations across EMEA. He initially joined the company as MD for its UK and Ireland business in 2007, a time where “fewer than one in five people were online”, he stated.

The executive then moved to serve as VP of Northern and Central Europe before landing his current position.

“EMEA represents around one-third of Google’s overall revenue and we have grown it several times over,” Brittin wrote. “My deepest gratitude goes to everyone who has made this work possible and to the leaders who put their trust in me and my colleagues”.

The executive also took the opportunity to address the powers of AI and the influence of his Nobel-prize winning colleagues in this area.

“Google DeepMind, led from London, have pioneered breakthroughs like Nobel Prize-winning AlphaFold, accelerating research in nearly every field of science, while in Kenya and Ghana, Google researchers are creating AI for flood forecasting and food security.”

“Over the next few years, we will see even more extraordinary breakthroughs that will revolutionise the diagnosis and cure of diseases, help tackle the climate crisis, revolutionise education and open up opportunities for everyone”, Brittin stated.