Google plans ad sales restructuring as automation booms

Alphabet-owned Google (GOOGL.O) plans to reorganize a big part of its 30,000-person ad sales unit, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.

Sean Downey, who oversees ad sales to big customers in the Americas, said at a department-wide meeting last week that Google plans to restructure its ad sales teams without specifying whether the move would include layoffs, according to the report.

Google intended to consolidate staff, including through possible layoffs, by reassigning employees at its large customer sales unit who oversee relationships with major advertisers, the report said, citing another person briefed on Google’s plans.

The planned reorganization comes as Google is relying more on machine-learning techniques to help customers buy more ads on its search engine, YouTube and other services, the report added.

Google did not immediately respond to Reuters request for a comment.

In January this year, Alphabet announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs around the world, equivalent to 6 per cent of its global workforce.

Earlier in June, Google laid off employees at mapping app Waze as it merged the app’s advertising system with Google Ads technology.