Google has announced that Melanie Silva will be the new head of Google Australia and New Zealand, taking on the role of managing director from 1 October.
Melanie began her career as product manager at AMP Financial Services and worked at ING Direct, Citibank and Fairfax before moving to Google 11 years ago. Her most recent role was the managing director, go-to-market strategy and operations of Google Asia-Pacific (APAC), where she was based in Singapore.
She is thrilled to be coming home and rejoining the team in Australia and New Zealand. “During my time in APAC, it’s been wonderful to see and share stories of the innovations coming out of Australia and New Zealand,” said Melanie. “I can’t wait to come back and work with our partners and clients to help them innovate, grow and succeed. There is a tremendous digital opportunity for the region, with businesses and consumers increasingly making use of tools such as AI and machine learning.”
Melanie will replace Jason Pellegrino in the top spot, who has recently accepted the chief executive role at Domain. She will be the second women in history appointed to the role, after Maile Carnegie held the position from 2013 to 2016.
President of Google Asia-Pacific Karim Temsamani said he is delighted Melanie will lead the Australia and New Zealand team as she is an exceptional leader. “Melanie really knows how to bring the best out of people and has a thorough understanding of our partners’ needs,” he said. “Through her extensive Google experience, she has built an in-depth knowledge of the region, which makes her perfectly placed to continue to develop our engagement with consumers and businesses across Australia and New Zealand.”
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