David Drummond (businessman) explained

David Drummond
Birth Name:David Carl Drummond
Birth Date:6 March 1963[1]
Birth Place:Carmel, California
Alma Mater:Santa Clara University (BA)
Stanford University (JD)
Occupation:Formerly senior vice president and chief legal officer, Alphabet Inc.

David Carl Drummond (born March 6, 1963) is an American business executive and former lawyer. He served as senior vice president of corporate development and chief legal officer for Alphabet Inc.,[2] and, formerly, for its subsidiary, Google.[3] Prior to joining Google, in 2002, Drummond was a partner at law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati and then chief financial officer of software company SmartForce. Drummond retired from Alphabet on January 31, 2020.

Career

See also: Google litigation. Drummond received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in history from Santa Clara University and a Juris Doctor from Stanford Law School.[4] [5] He was admitted to the State Bar of California in 1989 but became ineligible to practice law in California since 2020.[6] Drummond's first time working with Google was in 1998 as a partner at the technology law firm Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati's corporate transactions group;[7] he was Google's first outside counsel. Drummond worked with Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin to raise funding and incorporate the company.[8]

Drummond was chief financial officer (CFO) of software company SmartForce from June 1999 until January 2002. In July 2007, Drummond and three other SmartForce executives settled accounting violation charges brought by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) resulting from an overstatement of the company's net income by $127 million during a period of time from 1999 to 2002.[9] Drummond paid a $700,000 fine to the SEC;[10] he was also ordered to pay a $125,000 civil fine by the New Hampshire District Court.[11]

In February 2002, Drummond joined Google as vice president of corporate development and general counsel.[12] He became Google's senior vice president of corporate development in January 2006 and chief legal officer in December 2006, positions he retained following Google's restructure into Alphabet Inc. in October 2015. He has also been secretary at Google and Alphabet since 2002.[13]

During his tenure at Google, Drummond was involved in lawsuits the company fought against GEICO, Viacom, Microsoft and the Association of American Publishers. He played a central role in Google's right to be forgotten dispute in Europe and the company's exit from China in 2010. He also oversaw major acquisitions including YouTube, Android, DoubleClick and Motorola Mobility.[14] Drummond is an advocate for freedom of speech and diversity.

Drummond was charged by the SEC in 2005 with causing Google to violate securities law because he failed to advise the company's board that the company was required to register $80 million in stock options used as compensation for employees. The SEC said in its press release, "By deciding Google could escape its disclosure requirements, and failing to inform the Board of the legal risks of his determination, Drummond caused the company to run afoul of the federal securities laws."[15] In January 2005, Google and Drummond settled the complaint by agreeing not to violate securities laws in the future. Neither Google nor Drummond paid a fine or acknowledged wrongdoing.[16]

Drummond and other Google executives were defendants in a trial in Italy which began in 2009 over a video of a child being bullied which had been uploaded to Google Video in 2006.[17] None of the executives charged had any involvement with the creation or posting of the video and Google removed the video after being notified by authorities.[18] The case could have had ramifications for content providers around the world.[19] In 2010, Drummond and two other Google executives were found guilty of privacy violations and handed six-month suspended sentences. They were cleared of defamation charges.[20] In December 2012, the convictions and sentences were overturned on appeal.

Drummond joined Uber's board of directors in August 2013 after Google Ventures led a $360 million funding round for Uber. Drummond stepped down from the board in August 2016 amid reports he had been shut out of board meetings due to his conflict of interest on self-driving cars.[21] Drummond also sat on the board of Crisis Text Line, a not-for-profit organization, from 2012 to 2018. In 2014, Drummond was appointed a board member at Kohlberg Kravis Roberts, where he sat on its conflicts committee.[22]

His compensation from Google's parent company, Alphabet Inc., was US$47,282,232 in 2018, US$664,252 in 2017, and US$664,387 in 2016.[23] Drummond is an investor and advisor to the media company Ozy.[24]

On January 10, 2020, it was announced that Drummond would leave Alphabet to retire, effective January 31, 2020, following scrutiny for potentially inappropriate relationships.[25] He will not receive an exit package.[26] In the months leading up to his announcement, Drummond sold off over $200 million of his Alphabet stock.[27]

Personal life

Drummond has a son born in 2007 during an extramarital affair with Jennifer Blakely, at the time a Google employee in the department he oversaw.[28] [29] Drummond's relationship with Blakely was detailed in a 2018 The New York Times exposé on sexual misconduct by executives at Google. Drummond married Corinne Dixon, an employee in Google's legal department, around September 2019.[30]

Alphabet's board of directors, including Drummond, were sued by shareholders in January 2019 for allegedly covering up the sexual misconduct by executives.[31] The board formed an independent committee and hired a law firm to investigate how executives handled the claims.[32] [33]

David's elder brother is jazz bassist Ray Drummond.

Notes and References

  1. Web site: David Drummond. CNBC. October 6, 2014 . June 24, 2019.
  2. Web site: Alphabet Executive Resigns from Uber's Board Amid Growing Rivalry. Kia. Kokalitcheva. Fortune.
  3. News: BBC News - Google's Drummond calls for new NSA reforms. BBC News. January 27, 2014 .
  4. David Drummond - The 2011 Time 100 Poll . April 4, 2011. . live. https://web.archive.org/web/20190611053441/http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2058044_2060338_2060032,00.html. June 11, 2019. January 11, 2020.
  5. Web site: Undergraduate Degrees · GitBook . 2022-12-05 . www.scu.edu.
  6. Web site: State Bar of CA :: David C. Drummond . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190609193735/http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Licensee/Detail/142642 . June 9, 2019 . January 11, 2020 . California Bar.
  7. Web site: Probe targets Google executive. Weisman. Robert. July 30, 2004. The Boston Globe. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20050127141935/http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2004/07/30/probe_targets_google_executive?pg=2. January 27, 2005. January 11, 2020.
  8. Web site: Google's Legal Chief Joins K.K.R.'s Board. Alden. William. March 17, 2014. DealBook. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191001021449/https://dealbook.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/googles-legal-chief-joins-k-k-r-s-board/. October 1, 2019. January 11, 2020.
  9. News: Google exec settles with SEC for SmartForce work. Wutkowski. Karey. July 19, 2007. Reuters. January 11, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111043917/https://www.reuters.com/article/google-sec-smartforce/google-exec-settles-with-sec-for-smartforce-work-idUSN1918732920070719. January 11, 2020.
  10. Web site: Google's Top Legal Officer to Pay $700,000 in SEC Fines. Rosencrance. Linda. July 20, 2007. PCWorld. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111051057/https://www.pcworld.com/article/134891/article.html. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  11. Web site: Google's chief legal officer slapped with SEC fines. Nystedt. Dan. July 20, 2007. ITworld. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111051047/https://www.itworld.com/article/2817120/google-s-chief-legal-officer-slapped-with-sec-fines.html. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  12. Web site: Management team. Google. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20120331150447/http://www.google.com/about/company/facts/management/. March 31, 2012. January 11, 2020.
  13. Web site: Alphabet Inc. 2016 Proxy Statement. April 29, 2016. www.sec.gov. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111133931/https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1652044/000130817916000384/lgoog_def14a.htm. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  14. Web site: Alphabet's Top Lawyer to Retire Following Questions on Conduct. Bergen. Mark. 2020-01-10. Bloomberg. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112031827/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-01-10/alphabet-s-top-lawyer-to-retire-after-google-founders-leave. 2020-01-12. 2020-01-12.
  15. Web site: SEC Charges Google and its General Counsel David C. Drummond with Failure to Register Over $80 Million in Employee Stock Options Prior to IPO. www.sec.gov. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111013408/https://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-6.htm. January 11, 2020. August 29, 2019.
  16. News: Google, Its Lawyer Are Unscathed In SEC Investigation of Offering. Delaney. Kevin J.. January 14, 2005. Wall Street Journal. January 11, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20160819052217/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB110563728390725405. August 19, 2016. 0099-9660. limited.
  17. News: Google bosses on trial in Italy. 2009-09-30. BBC News. 2020-01-12. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112022800/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8282293.stm. 2020-01-12.
  18. Web site: Italian court overturns Google convictions. Barry. Colleen. December 22, 2012. news.yahoo.com. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112023217/https://news.yahoo.com/italian-court-overturns-google-convictions-131500351--finance.html?guccounter=1. 2020-01-12. 2020-01-12.
  19. News: Google's content trial delayed. 2009-06-23. BBC News. 2020-01-12. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112023240/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8115572.stm. 2020-01-12.
  20. News: Google bosses convicted in Italy. 2010-02-24. BBC News. 2020-01-12. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200112023245/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8533695.stm. 2020-01-12.
  21. Web site: Alphabet's David Drummond has left Uber's board over conflict of interest on self-driving cars. Bhuiyan. Johana. August 29, 2016. Vox. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191008194722/https://www.vox.com/2016/8/29/12701626/uber-google-david-drummond-steps-down. October 8, 2019. January 11, 2020.
  22. Web site: KKR appoint Google's David Drummond to Board of Directors. Bolland. Ian. March 17, 2014. HITC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111025516/https://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2014/03/17/kkr-appoint-david-drummond-to-board-of-directors/page/1/. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  23. Web site: Alphabet Inc Schedule 14A . Page. Larry. Brin. Sergey. April 30, 2019. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Aug 31, 2019. Hennessy. John L..
  24. Web site: Alphabet's legal chief David Drummond is leaving the company. Elias. Jennifer. January 10, 2020. CNBC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111013559/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/10/alphabets-legal-chief-is-leaving-the-company.html. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  25. News: Google parent company's top lawyer to leave following scrutiny for potentially inappropriate relationships. Bensinger. Greg. January 10, 2020. Washington Post. en. March 27, 2020.
  26. News: Alphabet legal head Drummond exits, giving its new CEO chance to shake up team. Dave. Paresh. January 11, 2020. Reuters. January 11, 2020. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111035943/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alphabet-executive/alphabet-legal-head-drummond-exits-giving-its-new-ceo-chance-to-shake-up-team-idUSKBN1Z9258. January 11, 2020.
  27. Web site: Alphabet's top lawyer is leaving with no exit package following misconduct scandals. Statt. Nick. January 10, 2020. The Verge. en. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200111141939/https://www.theverge.com/2020/1/10/21060321/google-alphabet-david-drummond-lawyer-chief-legal-officer-resigns. January 11, 2020. January 11, 2020.
  28. News: How Google Protected Andy Rubin, the 'Father of Android'. Wakabayashi. Daisuke. October 25, 2018. The New York Times. October 25, 2018. Benner. Katie. en.
  29. Web site: Top Google exec faces renewed scrutiny after former employee details alleged affair. O'Brien. Sara Ashley. August 30, 2019. CNN. August 30, 2019.
  30. Web site: Alphabet's legal chief, already in hot water over past relationship, married an employee this weekend. Elias. Jennifer. September 3, 2019. CNBC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191221011321/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/03/google-legal-chief-david-drummond-marries-employee.html. December 21, 2019. January 11, 2020.
  31. Web site: Alphabet's board sued for role in allegedly covering up sexual misconduct by senior execs. D'Onfro. Jillian. January 10, 2019. CNBC. en. January 11, 2020.
  32. Web site: Alphabet Board Investigates Executives Over Relationships. De Vynck. Gerrit. November 7, 2019. Bloomberg. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20191213080526/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-07/alphabet-board-investigates-executives-over-relationships. December 13, 2019. January 11, 2020.
  33. Web site: Alphabet gets two-month delay to reply to shareholder lawsuit over executive misconduct. Elias. Jennifer. 2019-12-13. CNBC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20200106000348/https://www.cnbc.com/2019/12/12/alphabet-gets-two-month-delay-to-reply-to-shareholder-suit.html. 2020-01-06. 2020-01-11.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "David Drummond (businessman)".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.