- Dave Burke has stepped down as Android Engineering VP at Google.
- He posted on X that he will be focusing on AI/Bio projects from now on.
- Dave's stepping down is due to Google deciding to merge Platforms and Product teams which will be led by Rick Osterloh
If you tune in to watch Google I/O each year, you may recognize Dave Burke. Dave has been the Android Engineering VP at Google since 2014 and has demoed lots of new Android features on stage. Around a month ago, Google CEO Pichai announced a reshuffle in the internal products and platform teams to boost ChromeOS and Android, and the plan seems to be finally in action.
Dave Burke posted on X that he has stepped down as the Vice President of Android Engineering and is shifting into an advisory position while exploring AI/bio projects.
He also posted on LinkedIn, “I’ll be stepping away from leading Android Engineering and shifting into an advisory position while exploring AI/bio projects. AI has the potential to play a pivotal role in accelerating drug discovery, with wide applicability, including in hard-to-treat pediatric cancers, a topic close to my heart. I’m working with Sundar to explore relevant roles at Alphabet“.
Rick Osterloh will oversee the newly merged Platforms and Devices team, replacing Hiroshi Lockheimer who also took a new role in Google. Similarly, Sameer Samat who also appears on the stage during the Android segue of I/O has been promoted to President of the Android Ecosystem.
The announcement from Dave came right after Google announced ChromeOS development on the Android stack to give it a feature boost. The goal of the reorg is to “turbocharge Android and Chrome ecosystems and bring best innovations to partners faster,” Sundar said. In fact, we wrote a piece on what this could mean for Android and Google so do check it out here.
What are your thoughts on Dave Burke departing the Android team and Google’s reshuffle? Will it really boost the ecosystems or slow down the creative processes for a while? Let us know in the comments.
