Google Gemini App Welcomes New Leader

2025-04-03

According to a report by Semafor, Google executive Sissie Hsaio is stepping down as the head of the Gemini app. An internal memo revealed that Josh Woodward, Vice President of Google Labs, will take over her position.

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, stated in the memo that this change will help "focus more on the next phase of the Gemini app's development." Google spokesperson Alex Joseph confirmed the report by Semafor but declined to provide additional comments.

Hsaio joined Google in 2006 as a product manager for search and documents and has been with the company for nearly two decades. In 2021, she was appointed as the head of the Gemini app and led the launch of Bard, Google’s competitor to ChatGPT. As reported by Semafor, Hsaio mentioned in the memo that she will take a break and return to Google in a new role later.

While continuing to lead Google Labs, Woodward will also be responsible for "shaping the next phase of Gemini's development." He previously contributed to the development of Google’s AI note-taking app NotebookLM, which features an Audio Overview tool capable of transforming research content into podcast-like presentations narrated by two AI “hosts.” Google has integrated NotebookLM into its One AI Premium subscription service, allowing users to create AI-generated podcasts from Gemini’s Deep Research feature.