Alphabet CFO beats back-to-office drum, citing tie to innovation

Alphabet Inc. Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat says employees having the chance to work together in-person is key to fostering innovation, but the nature of work will inevitably change because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Google (REUTERS)

Alphabet Inc. Chief Financial Officer Ruth Porat says employees having the chance to work together in-person is key to fostering innovation, but the nature of work will inevitably change because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Porat, who is also CFO of Alphabet's main Google business, spoke in an interview on The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations on Bloomberg Television. Here are some other key insights from the discussion:

• Google's original model of bringing employees together around a central campus is changing as the company re-imagines what work looks like because of the pandemic.
• Health care is a key area of growth for the company and artificial intelligence will have a major impact on the field.
• Part of Google's answer to those who say the company is too big and powerful is to point out how important the tech giant has become for small businesses trying to reach consumers online.

Written by Gerrit De Vynck.