Google appoints Vanessa Hartley as new head of Irish business

Google has announced the new top executive for its Irish business, with the group’s current vice-president of EMEA sales, Vanessa Hartley, stepping into the top role with immediate effect.

The appointment comes a matter of weeks after outgoing Irish chief Adaire Fox-Martin announced she would be leaving the company.

Ms Hartley has worked with Google Ireland since 2014 and has held a number of key roles within the company’s global business organisation and its strategy and operations teams in the European, Middle East and Africa division. Ms Hartley was appointed vice-president and leader of the EMEA sales teams in 2022.

Before joining the tech giant, Ms Hartley worked as commercial director of GloHealth and group marketing director for Aviva Ireland.

“I am both humbled and excited to lead Google Ireland into the next phase of our evolution, building on our proud, two-decade history here in Ireland,” Ms Hartley said. “Making AI helpful for everyone in a responsible way will be my top priority in this new role.”

Her appointment comes after Google celebrated its 20th anniversary in Ireland. The company employs more than 5,000 people directly in Ireland, although it shed a number of jobs in the past year as part of a wider slowdown in the tech sector.

Google EMEA president Matt Brittin welcomed Ms Hartley’s appointment. “Her experience will be invaluable as we continue to help Irish people, communities and businesses succeed and make the most of AI,” he said.

Ms Hartley succeeds Ms Fox-Martin, who said in March she would move to data centre company Equinix as chief executive and president. Ms Fox-Martin was appointed as Google’s Irish head in 2022, following the departure of Nick Leeder, and led Google Cloud’s go-to-market teams globally. She had joined the Irish office a year earlier as Google’s EMEA cloud president.