• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
TechraceAhead

Alphabet Adds a Seasoned Finance Exec to Its Board

By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Leena Rao
Leena Rao
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 29, 2016, 10:59 AM ET
Photograph by Bloomberg via Getty Images

Google-owner Alphabet is boosting finance chops on its board by adding TIAA CEO Roger Ferguson to its board.

As president and CEO of TIAA, Ferguson leads the financial institution (ranked 82 on the 2016 Fortune 500 list) that manages retirement investments for thousands of university professors and other employees of educational, medical, government, and cultural institutions. Prior his role at TIAA, Ferguson was head of financial services for insurance company Swiss Re. He was also was vice chairman of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve from 1999 to 2006.

“I’m so excited that Roger has agreed to join our Board,” said former Google CEO and current executive chairman of Alphabet’s board, Eric Schmidt, in a statement. “He has a long record of distinguished and thoughtful service in the private and public sectors, and deeply understands how technology can improve the lives of people around the world.”

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Ferguson should bring more financial chops to the board as Alphabet (GOOGL) and its CFO, Ruth Porat, look to streamline how the tech corporation invests in many of its moonshot projects, such as self-driving cars and contact lenses that can measure blood sugar.

When Google restructured into Alphabet in 2015, the holding company created a more investor-friendly way to separate how the company reports its financial results. Previously, Google reported its ad revenue, the bulk of its business, in combination with sales from its riskier bets, such as connected thermostat business Nest as well as the aforementioned moonshots.

Now, Google discloses revenue and profits within two categories: Google (comprised of the core ad business as well as revenue from cloud, hardware, and Android), and “Other Bets” (sales from businesses like Nest, investment returns, small contributions from its Verily life sciences business, and the secretive X innovation lab, among other initiatives).

For more on Alphabet, watch:

Ferguson will be part of the board’s audit committee, joining existing board members such as former Pixar CFO Ann Mather as well as former president and CEO of Ford (F), Alan Mulally. He replaces venture capitalist and early Google investor John Doerr on the audit committee, according to a regulatory filing.

It’s also worth noting that Ferguson is also the first African-American appointed to Alphabet’s board. Google, along with other Silicon Valley companies, have been publicizing recent bolstered efforts to promote diversity within the tech industry. Last year, Google pledged to spend $150 million on programs both inside and outside its company. This week, the search giant announced that it would house non-profit Black Girls Code at its New York office.

About the Author
By Leena Rao
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Sal Khan
SuccessEducation
This CEO has teamed up with Google, Microsoft, and McKinsey to build an AI degree that could rival Harvard—and it will only cost $10,000 to attend
By Preston ForeApril 15, 2026
2 hours ago
Why insurance giant Travelers’ CTO is placing fewer, bigger bets on AI
NewslettersCIO Intelligence
Why insurance giant Travelers’ CTO is placing fewer, bigger bets on AI
By John KellApril 15, 2026
2 hours ago
horowitz
AIdisruption
a16z’s Ben Horowitz sees ‘AI anxiety’ consuming Silicon Valley founders. Workers’ fear of something else is killing adoption
By Nick LichtenbergApril 15, 2026
2 hours ago
News outlets like NYT and USA Today are blocking the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to prevent AI training models from using their content
AIMedia
News outlets like NYT and USA Today are blocking the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine to prevent AI training models from using their content
By Dave Lozo and Morning BrewApril 15, 2026
3 hours ago
raikes
CommentaryMicrosoft
Jeff Raikes: AI is capturing cognition — and most companies are building a talent debt they don’t see yet
By Jeff RaikesApril 15, 2026
3 hours ago
Current price of Ethereum for April 15, 2026
Personal FinanceEthereum
Current price of Ethereum for April 15, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerApril 15, 2026
4 hours ago

Most Popular

Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
Success
Billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott has donated again—a week after gifting millions to a college, she's just given $70 million to Meals on Wheels America
By Fortune EditorsApril 13, 2026
2 days ago
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
Commentary
Retirees are facing a $345,000 bill they never saw coming — and most aren't prepared
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
Success
Palantir CEO says working at his $316 billion software company is better than a degree from Harvard or Yale: ‘No one cares about the other stuff’
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
Success
He was coding at 12 like Elon Musk and became one of Google’s youngest-ever CMOs—but now says Gen Z is better off ice skating than learning to code
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
AI
Anthropic is facing a wave of user backlash over reports of performance issues with its Claude AI chatbot
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
Success
Warren Buffett’s first tax return showed $7 owed to the IRS. The then paperboy and former Berkshire Hathaway CEO is now worth $143 billion
By Fortune EditorsApril 14, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.