Top Google Lobbyist Leaving the Search Giant
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Alan Davidson, the granddaddy of Google lobbyists, announced today that he is leaving the company later this month to take a sabbatical, according to an email obtained by the Alley. In a sign of just how big the news is, a tech lobbyist emailed the Alley with a one-word reaction, "wow."
Davidson writes:
In 2005, I joined Google in Washington to build a first-rate Internet policy group. It's been a remarkable experience - and a very exciting and intense time -- but I'm ready for a new challenge. After six and half years, I've decided it's the right moment for me to leave my current role at the company. Starting later this month, I will be taking a sabbatical to explore other opportunities.
Davidson was Google's original guy in Washington and the loss of his institutional memory is sure to be felt inside the company, especially as it confronts regulators and lawmakers who are increasingly probing its business practices. With the company defending itself from anti-trust regulations, Google has hired more lobbyists and ramped up how much it spends each year to influence policy.
Davidson declined to comment.
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