Nest is now more tightly integrated into Google than ever.
CEO Marwan Fawaz has stepped down and the smart home device maker will be combined with Google’s home products team. Fawaz told CNET that Google will keep the Nest brand.
However, the change could make for deeper integration of Google software (like Google Assistant) in Nest hardware.
The combined team is led by Rishi Chandra, vice-president of product management for Google’s home products.
Nest was reintegrated under Google five months ago under Fawaz’s leadership, previously operating as an independent entity under Google’s parent company Alphabet for the past three years.
Fawaz is now taking on an advisory role. CNET reported that employees were pushing for the former CEO to leave because he was “more of an operations manager than a leader.”
However, Google denied the comments in a statement to publications including Engadget, stating that Fawaz “is a strong CEO with a track record of operational excellence” and did a “remarkable job.”
Nest, co-founded by iPod designer Tony Fadell, was purchased by Google in 2014 for $3.2 billion.
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