Apple exec resigns from Google board

 

Gallery

By Reuters

Posted on 12 Oct 2009 at 16:38

Arthur Levinson had resigned from the Google board following increased regulatory scrutiny over his role as a director of both the search company and Apple.

The resignation by Levinson, a Google board member since 2004, comes about two months after Google CEO Eric Schmidt quit the Apple board, citing "potential conflicts of interest."

Google and Apple, long seen as allies against Microsoft's tech dominance, increasingly find themselves competing on a number of fronts, including operating systems and the fast-growing smartphone market.

At the time, Schmidt's resignation was seen as helping defuse some scrutiny of the companies' relationship, but the US Federal Trade Commission has continued to investigate the relationship between the two boards.

Levinson left Google despite Schmidt's urging earlier this month that he stay. "Art has been a key part of Google's success these past five years, offering unvarnished advice and vital counsel on every big issue and opportunity Google has faced," Schmidt claims in a statement. "Though he leaves as a member of our board, Art will always have a special place at Google."