Marissa Meyer - She is Google (Ada Lovelace Day post)

For Ada Lovelace day I’m writing a post about an inspirational woman in technology as part of a pledge. I agree with the premise of the day, that women will be inspired by seeing role models; when I first heard about the pledge I was embarrassed that I couldn’t actually think of anyone to write about – I can list loads of guys in tech who impress me, but no women came to mind. Have also tried this as a test on friends…men they can do, women they can’t.

So I was caught off-guard earlier this month when I stumbled across this video interview between Charlie Rose and Marissa Meyer (Google’s Vice President, Search Products and User Experience) because I firstly, had never heard of her, and secondly, was suddenly hit with the realisation that she really is what I see as Google.

I might add that I’m a huge Google fan. I follow everything they do with fascination – each new product release is like they’ve designed some new tool or feature just for me, and I never even knew I wanted it. Well it turns out, the person pulling the strings – deciding which things do or don’t make it out of Google HQ and onto my browser, is Marissa. A bright, modern, smart and utterly non-backroom-geek-y woman.

Her background is all on Google and if you trawl that page you’ll find there are 9 other women in the Google management team, but it’s what she does now that I think is so compelling. One of the quotes they use in the interview is: “That power gives her enormous sway over the ebb and flow of competition on the internet.” Imagine that, having direct control over the way the internet changes. Definitely something to aspire to. Keep it up Marissa.