Google senior executive Jonathan Rosenberg resigns

Reporting from San Francisco — As co-founder Larry Page retook command of Google Inc. as chief executive Monday, the Internet search giant announced a significant resignation from its senior management ranks.

Jonathan Rosenberg, senior vice president of product management, plans to step down in the coming months, the Mountain View, Calif., company said.

Page had asked his senior executives to make long-term commitments to remain at the company. Rosenberg, 49, a member of the powerful executive committee that makes major strategic decisions for Google, had planned to step down in 2013 when his children reached college age, so he thought he owed it to Page to be clear that he could not stay that long, a Google spokesman said.

In a written statement, Page said: “We tried to hire Jonathan multiple times because he was the only person we could imagine doing the job. It’s lucky we were so persistent because he’s built an amazing team — hiring great people, who’ve created amazing products that have benefited over a billion users around the world.”

Page has not yet decided who will replace Rosenberg, a Google spokesman said.

Analysts said Rosenberg was respected and liked, but predicted there would be additional turnover. In March, Rosenberg received a $1.7-million bonus and equity valued at $5 million.

“There is going to be volatility, that’s what happens around every transition,” BGC Partners analyst Colin Gillis said. “It’s to be expected. There will be winners and losers.”

Rosenberg will take on a consulting role with Google. He also plans to write a book with Google Executive Chairman and former CEO Eric Schmidt about Google’s management culture. Schmidt in a statement said Rosenberg had been “crucial to our success over the last nine years.”

Rosenberg joined Google shortly after Schmidt in 2002 after working at Apple and Excite@Home.

[email protected]