Alphabet chairman resigns amid tumultuous quarter for top business executives

Former Alphabet chairman Eric E. Schmidt . (DoD News)

Several high-level executives of massive global firms including the chairman of Alphabet, the parent company of Google, have resigned this year in what is a noticeable trend of top corporate executives stepping down.

“In recent years, I’ve been spending a lot of my time on science and technology issues, and philanthropy, and I plan to expand that work,” said Eric E. Schmidt, chairman of Alphabet.

Schmidt left his role at the company on Dec. 21. He served as Google CEO from 2001 to 2011, as part of his 17-year tenure at the tech giant.

“Since 2001, Eric has provided us with business and engineering expertise and a clear vision about the future of technology,” said Lawrence E. Page, CEO of Alphabet.

“Over 17 years, Eric has been tremendously effective and tireless in guiding our board, particularly as we restructured from Google to Alphabet,” said Page.

Schmidt is expected to continue his service to the company by advising on science and technology issues, he said.

Schmidt is one of many high-level executives that have stepped down prominent and well-known firms.

A Pentagon spokesperson told Big League Politics Schmidt was still listed as the chairman of the Pentagon’s Defense Innovation Advisory Board.

Since September, Equifax CEO Richard F. Smith, PepsiCo India CEO D Shivakumar, Samsung Display CEO Kwon Oh-hyun, Oman Air CEO Paul Gregorowitsch , Hudson’s Bay Co., parent company of Sak’s Fifth Avenue CEO Gerald L. Storch, and Hewlitt Packard CEO Margaret C. “Meg” Whitman have all resigned.

They are not the only ones. Other prominent resignees include:

A screenshot of a 4chan post lists 44 total CEO’s who have resigned this quarter alone:

(Screenshot from 4Chan)

Many executives have resigned immediately and without explanation.

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