Three months after its former leader stepped down, the Canadian arm of Google Inc. has officially named its new country director.
Sabrina Geremia, who had served as Google Canada’s interim leader since former managing director Sam Sebastian left the company to lead Weather Network owner Pelmorex Corp. in July, has officially been appointed country director, the tech giant quietly announced this week.
In a note to clients shared with IT World Canada, Geremia said that she was “excited to start this new journey, alongside our incredible team at Google Canada.”
“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a part of Canada’s tech community,” she wrote. “As a country, we are pivoting from a resource economy to a resourcefulness economy. Google Canada is an integral part of that shift, helping Canadian companies grab hold of the opportunities provided by new technologies.”
Geremia struck a similar note in an exclusive interview with the Financial Post, saying Canada’s tech industry was experiencing a “moment” she was excited to help it seize.
“I’ve been in Canada now for 10 years and I don’t think I’ve ever seen such an exciting time in terms of everyone working together and having a shared vision of the future, and the ability for Google to really play a part in that,” she told the Post.
Geremia’s appointment was not accompanied by a press release or blog post, and any media inquiring about her appointment were sent the message that was shared internally, a Google representative said.
Though she’s now worked with Google for 11 years in multiple capacities, including as its Canadian managing director of integrated solutions, Geremia has extensive international experience as well, having accrued 22 years of international experience working in marketing, public relations and sales at companies such as Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, and Ask Jeeves in the U.K., Italy, and Asia, among other countries.
She also serves as both a board member with Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone and as an advisor with the City of Toronto’s Innovation Economy Advisory Council and women in tech-boosting initiative Move the Dial.
She told the Post that under her leadership, Google Canada will be focusing on three key goals moving forward: helping Canadian businesses grow using its services, including an increased push for Google Cloud category; helping equip youth and especially young women with the skills needed to compete in an increasingly digital economy; and supporting Canada’s tech sector in general.
“Canadians are changing how they work, live, connect and get things done and Canadian businesses want to keep pace with these changes,” she told clients.
