Indian-origin director of Google News laid off after 13 years of service, says ‘in privileged position to figure out…'

livemint.com:

Google has laid off its director of News Ecosystem Development who worked for the company for 13 years. The Indian-origin director, Madhav Chinnappa, took to LinkedIn to announce about the layoff, however, he added that he is in the “privileged position" of being able to have some time to figure out his next move.

In his post, he said that he is on a ‘gardening leave’ at the moment which allows him too much time to contemplate him work, career, life etc. As per his LinkedIn profile, Chinnappa has done his BA in Economics and Policy studies from Rice University and his schooling from Jakarta International School and has 29 years of professional experience.

Prior to Google, he worked with BBC, United Business Media (UBM) and Associated Press Television News (APTN). Chinnappa had joined the company in August 2010 as the head of strategic partnerships at Google News.

"From Digital News Initiative (which wasn’t just a Fund - though a wise person did say that it helped kickstart a European media R&D culture) to the Google News Initiative Innovation Challenges - and of course Ludovic Blecher’s brilliant idea: JERF, the Journalism Emergency Relief Fund which showcased the best of Google: helping where it could when a vulnerable part of the news ecosystem needed it most and involving 300 Googlers," he wrote in his post. Moreover, he also wrote about his plans for the next two months.

“In the near term, I have some pressing family issues that need my fuller attention so in the spirit of the Zen proverb that the tea cup must be empty before it can be full, I will take August off then spend September looking after my mum in India and only start thinking about work in October with a view to doing more things in 2024. " Google in