WMHSMUN

XXXIV
Alphabet Board of Directors
Background Guide

“Unprecedented committees. Unparalleled debate. Unmatched fun.”

 Letters From the Directors

Dear Delegates,

Hello delegates! My name is Katie Weinsheimer, and I am looking forward to meeting you all on
Zoom this fall at WMHSMUN XXXIV. The world of international Internet governance and the
moral/ethical issues that arise from the introduction of ‘smart’ technology have been an interest of mine
throughout my college career, so I am very excited to delve into these issues as your committee director for
the Alphabet Board of Directors.
I am a senior international relations major from Silver Spring, MD. I am in the St. Andrews William
& Mary Joint Degree Programme, which means I am coming back to W&M after studying abroad in
Scotland for two years. I joined William & Mary’s International Relations Club as a freshman after doing
model United Nations in high school like all of you. I have loved my time in the club and have loved being
involved in all of the conferences the College hosts. I am currently the registration director for our middle
school conference, WMIDMUN XIX. Outside of model UN, I love reading, traveling, and cooking/trying
new restaurants.
But enough about me, you are here for stock market domination! As the Alphabet Board of
Directors, you are responsible for the financial health of Alphabet and its subsidiary companies. Directors
are charged with assessing and managing the risk associated with Alphabet’s various investments. This
committee will take place in November 2020. With COVID-19 raging and poised to worsen in the winter
months, the Board will have to make tough decisions about current and future investments. There is a
national backlash against “Big Tech” and technological monopolies. Most importantly for the Board, data
privacy and security are major concerns for the American people. As the Board examines its current and
future assets, Directors would do well to consider the financial, legal, and moral implications of their
actions. The success of Alphabet as a company is on the line, but so are individual Directors’ reputations.
Directors should work together to advance the interests of the Board but having your own connections and
plans would serve you well.
If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Good luck!

Katie Weinsheimer
kjweinsheimer@email.wm.edu
Background Guide – Alphabet

Dear Delegates,

Welcome to the Alphabet Board of Directors at our virtual WMHSMUN XXXIV! My name is John
Cho, and I look forward to serving as one of your directors.

I am a sophomore at William & Mary from Newport News, VA studying Kinesiology and Public
Health on the pre-physician assistant track. On campus, I am involved with the Orientation Program,
Admissions Office, and Student Assembly. In my free time, you can probably find me napping on the
massage chairs in Swem Library, hanging out with friends (socially distant) on the Sunken Gardens, and
running on some of the beautiful trails around campus. I attended Model United Nations conferences
throughout high school and had amazing and thought-provoking experiences.

Though your experience this year will be different, I hope that you will be challenged to think
creatively in solving real-world problems and gain meaningful experiences by collaborating with other
delegates. Crisis committees are fast paced, shaped by directives from you and your fellow delegates as well
as incorporating crisis updates that will change the way you tackle an issue.

As a member of the Alphabet Board of Directors and industry magnate in your respective field, you
are tasked with weighing a variety of scientific, political, social, and ethical variables to develop solutions.
Both tropics rely on you to perform research to help facilitate actions you take.

I look forward to meeting you all via Zoom, and please reach out via email for any questions!

John Cho
jicho@email.wm.edu

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Introduction

Alphabet

In his annual letter to shareholders announcing the creation of Alphabet, Google founder Larry
Page described Alphabet this way:

“Alphabet is mostly a collection of companies. The largest of which, of course, is Google. This newer Google is a bit
slimmed down, with the companies that are pretty far afield of our main internet products contained in Alphabet
instead. What do we mean by far afield? Good examples are our health efforts: Life Sciences (that works on the
glucose-sensing contact lens), and Calico (focused on longevity). Fundamentally, we believe this allows us more
management scale, as we can run things independently that aren’t very related.”1

Alphabet is a holding company for all of formerly Google’s side projects and now Google itself.
Each subsidiary company of Alphabet (like Sidewalk Labs, Nest, and Google X) has its own CEO 2, with
Google CEO Sundar Pichai acting as the CEO for Alphabet as well.3 Page and Google cofounder Sergy
Brin led Alphabet from its creation in 2015 until fall of 2019, when they announced they were handing the
reins of the conglomerate to Pichai4 (both are still active board members).5
Two companies may be of particular interest the upcoming Board of Directors meeting: Calico and
DeepMind. Calico is a biotechnology company that focuses on the science behind aging. Combining
medical professionals with molecular biologists and geneticists, the company wants to develop ways to
increase an individual’s life span.6 DeepMind, a UK-based company specializing in artificial intelligence, was
bought by Google in 2014. DeepMind aims to develop advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to solve
problems in neuroscience, medicine, robotics, language and machine learning.7 In one of the most high-
profile cases of AI use to-date, DeepMind created a computer program, AlphaGo, that defeated one of the
world’s best Go players. Go, a Chinese board game, involves a complex combination of game moves that
requires more than simple mathematical calculations. AlphaGo used historical data from games played by
humans and interactive play against itself to learn how to win.8

Board of Directors

The Alphabet Board of Directors, as stipulated in the Alphabet Corporate Governance Guidelines,
meets regularly throughout the year to (1) oversee management and evaluate strategy; (2) evaluate

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management performance and compensation; (3) review management succession planning; (4) monitor and
manage potential conflicts of interest; (5) ensure the integrity of financial information; (6) monitor the
effectiveness of Board Governance Practices; and (7) select the Chair and Chief Executive Officer as
needed.9
Board members are expected to attend all board meetings prepared with the necessary research and
knowledge to make decisions on all matters pertaining to Alphabet’s business and financial strategies.
Directors are responsible for acting in the best interests of Alphabet and its stockholders, analyzing current
and future risk that may jeopardize the company.10
The Board is meeting at Alphabet headquarters in Mountain View, CA to discuss the company’s
Third Quarter earnings and make adjustments for Q4. Of particular interest to the Board is the recent
scrutiny around private data collection by AI products. Investors are worried that consumer backlash against
data mining may sink Alphabet stock. Another issue the Board has been asked to consider is the use of AI
and biotechnology in medical practices. There are ethical implications that could pose a major risk for
Alphabet if the technology malfunctioned.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as “the concept used to describe computer systems that are able
to learn from their own experiences and solve complex problems in different situations.” 11 AI is able to
become intelligent because it is fed massive amounts of data, usually personal data, to learn about human
behavior. AI has the potential to solve major problems in business, medicine and the environment;
however, the power of AI raises many questions with regard to ethics, security and legal responsibility. AI is
an example of machine learning. It learns from the data it is given, meaning that it self-updates and avoids
the technical barriers that previously limited data analysis. But this feat also requires more and more data to
learn from in order for AI to learn.12 Data is gathered from an individual’s actions online - social media
accounts, websites, blogs, etc. Then, a machine learning algorithm can use the data it gathered to make
analytical decisions without human intervention. The idea of AI (1.) mining people’s data and (2.) making
decisions based on that data without human intervention gives pause to many people.13 As AI grows, so
does its problem-solving potential, but also its opposition. These moral and legal implications should be
front on the minds of board members as they confront this issue within the context of the use of AI in
consumer products and medicine.

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Topic 1: Artificial Intelligence Use in Private Data and

Consumer Products

In 2020, every individual will create 1.7 megabytes per second in personal data, with 97.2% of all
businesses investing in technology to use that data for marketing outreach, tailoring messaging, and creating
targeted content. After scandals surrounding the sale of personal data, like Cambridge Analytica in 2016,
consumers recognize their data is being harvested and are extremely wary of businesses accessing their data.
Consumer trust that companies will act ethically and responsibly in the collection of personal data is at an
all-time low.14
In recent years both California and the EU have passed legislation intended to protect consumers’
privacy. California’s Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) provides new “privacy rights” for California consumers,
including the right to know about the personal information businesses collect about them and how it is
used; the right to delete personal information; and the right to opt out of the sale of personal data.15 The
EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has similar provisions.16 Although both laws govern
specific geographic areas, they signal a global expansion in data privacy policy that will evolve in the years to
come.17
At the same time that governments are honing in on data privacy protection, the use of AI in our
daily lives is expanding. Big Data is commonly understood through the “three Vs”: volume, variety and
velocity. More data allows for more specific and accurate analysis. Increased variety enhances analysis by
providing a range of new predictions and solutions. Velocity enables this analysis to be processed and
shared in real time.18 AI is bringing Big Data into areas of peoples’ lives that were previously considered
“off-line” through the “internet of things” (IoT). The term “IoT” encompasses a broad category of items
that range from smart speakers to self-driving cars. In its most basic sense, the IoT describes digital
products that use the Internet to communicate with other devices. In the consumer market, examples of
IoT devices include smart home systems, networked thermostats, smart TVs, etc.19 Although IoT devices
help to make our lives easier and more convenient, they do so while collecting large amounts of data on
consumer activities, including tracking peoples’ emotions, movements and habits.20
An additional problem facing IoT is the sharing of consumer data with third parties. A joint 2019
study conducted by Northeastern University and Imperial College London found that 72 of the 81 IoT
devices in the study shared data with third parties not associated with the manufacturer. This data was not
simply basic information about the device, but included highly sensitive data like IP addresses, usage habits

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and location data. Furthermore, much of the data was shared through a plaintext file without any
encryption. Any hacker who wanted access to this information would not even have to work to get it.21 This
issue has undermined the presumed security of IoT devices and undermined accountability assurances on
the behalf of companies like Google.
Alphabet has invested significantly in AI technologies through research and development as well as
the creation of consumer products like Google Home and Nest Home Security.22 The consumer IoT market
is growing rapidly, with some estimates predicting that people will spend over $50 billion on smart home
technology in 2022.23 However, with the recent scrutiny on AI data collection practices as well as the IoT
security breaches, this potential wealth could be in jeopardy. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai did issue
statements in the past expressing support for AI regulation; however, too much regulation and the industry
could be destroyed.24

Questions to Consider

1. Is it possible to use AI while continuing to protect people’s personal information? How does
Alphabet convince the public of this fact?
2. How should Alphabet deal with increasing government regulation? Should investments change?
Should it fight regulation? If so, how?
3. How should Alphabet address AI and IoT data mining and security concerns?
4. Should Alphabet begin regulating itself when it comes to personal information?

Topic 2: Artificial Intelligence Use in Medicine

Including Advanced Concepts

AI development in the medical field has traditionally lagged behind advancements in industrial
mechanization and IoT developments. However, over the past several years, AI has shown real potential
within the healthcare industry. The use of AI in hospitals and doctors’ offices could improve healthcare
efficiency and the quality of patient care. Additionally, studies have revealed potential for AI technologies
and models to diagnose and cure diseases. Currently, AI-based diagnostic algorithms are being applied to
mammograms to help detect breast cancer. Despite its immense potential, the use of AI in medicine raises
significant ethical concerns.25 Similar to the previous discussion of data privacy and IoT, the use of AI in

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medicine introduces questions regarding patient privacy and safety. But in this discussion, lives are on the
line.
The application of AI in medicine has two main categories: virtual and physical. The virtual category
involves the machine learning component discussed in the previous section. Machine learning in medicine
has prompted discoveries in genetics and molecular biology through the use of complex algorithms. 26 For
example, one group of researchers was able to identify hospital patients at a high risk of death within 48 to
72 hours of admission, allowing doctors to employ treatments that could mitigate increased risk. 27 Another
key component of the virtual category are electronic medical records. Algorithms can identify people with a
family history of disease or identify people with an increased risk of a chronic disease. Electronic records
can be used to streamline the healthcare industry and assist in early detection.28
The second category of the physical application of AI in medicine includes medical devices, physical
objects, and the use of robots in care delivery. Robots have been highly successful in communicating with
and teaching autistic children. Additionally, robots have been employed as surgery assistants. However,
people are still wary of using robots and there is no universal standard on their use. 29
One major concern with medical AI and data privacy revolves around the issues of confidentiality
and informed consent. Especially within the realm of healthcare, confidentiality is crucial. Doctor-patient
confidentiality is an important tenet of medical ethics. How does the use of AI to assist a doctor’s workflow
alter this confidentiality agreement? Researchers in medical ethics have emphasized the importance of
proper AI training for doctors such that the tools may be used correctly and ethically.30 Furthermore,
researchers have argued that the responsible use of AI involves informed consent. Patients should be made
aware of the costs and benefits of the use of AI technology, especially as it relates to surgical procedures. 31
A second major concern is that like all AI technologies, AI in healthcare requires large quantities of
data in order to produce useful algorithms. This, of course, raises ethical questions about data privacy and
the confidential nature of healthcare. Patients, at this point, are somewhat distrustful of the use of AI in
medicine and maybe unwilling to allow AI access to their medical records.32
Alphabet does not currently have a major stake in the medical field, other than one of its subsidiary
companies, Calico. Calico does not focus on medical AI, although it does place a large emphasis on the use
of technology in multidisciplinary medical research.33 With that being said, there is significant money to be
made in the medical field should Alphabet decide to invest. One option that board members could consider
is investing in expanding the portfolio of existing companies. DeepMind is regarded as a leader in machine
learning and has robotics experience.34 Another option could be to buy a medical AI company, as Alphabet
did with DeepMind in 2015. Many board members hold other board positions relating to medicine and

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healthcare. Board members should come prepared to discuss possible options, as well as the pros and cons
of each.

Questions to Consider

1. Alphabet has begun to invest in AI in the medical field through companies like Calico. Should
Alphabet expand its healthcare investments?
2. If Alphabet invests, should it focus its investments in the physical or digital side of medical AI or
both?
3. How should Alphabet navigate the ethical implications in medical AI?

Suggested Resources

Timan, T. & Z. Á. Mann (eds) (2019) “Data protection in the era of artificial intelligence. Trends, existing
solutions and recommendations for privacy-preserving technologies”, October 2019. BDVA.
https://www.bdva.eu/sites/default/files/Data%20protection%20in%20the%20era%20of%20big%
20data%20for%20artificial%20intelligence_BDVA_FINAL.pdf.
Internet Society. “Policy Brief: IoT Privacy for Policymakers.” Accessed October 9, 2020.
https://www.internetsociety.org/policybriefs/iot-privacy-for-policymakers/.
Access Partnership. “Regulating the IoT: 2020 and Beyond,” June 16, 2020.
https://www.accesspartnership.com/regulating-the-iot/.
Buch, Varun H., Irfan Ahmed, and Mahiben Maruthappu. “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Current
Trends and Future Possibilities.” British Journal of General Practice 68, no. 668 (March 1, 2018):
143–44. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp18X695213.
Belluz, Julia. “3 Ways AI Is Already Changing Medicine.” Vox, March 15, 2019.
https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2019/3/15/18264314/ai-artificial-intelligence-deep-
medicine-health-care.
Amisha, Paras Malik, Monika Pathania, and Vyas Kumar Rathaur. “Overview of Artificial Intelligence in
Medicine.” Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care 8, no. 7 (July 2019): 2328–31.
https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_440_19.

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Dossier

Sundar Pichai, Chief Executive Officer and Director

Other Board Memberships: none
Sundar Pichai is the current CEO of both Alphabet and Google. Within both of these roles, he wields an
immense amount of power to influence the Board. Google is by far the most profitable subsidiary of
Alphabet. If Google is not going along with the plan, neither is Alphabet. Pichai’s background is in software
development, which may offer useful insights in the discussion of the development of AI. 35

Ruth M. Porat, Chief Financial Officer and Senior Vice President

Other Board Memberships: Stanford University, Council on Foreign Relations, Inc., The Blackstone Group,
Inc.
Ruth Porat is the Chief Financial Officer of Alphabet, which means that she has substantial control over the
potential investments Alphabet makes. Since joining the Board in 2015, she has cut down the investments
on “moonshot” projects that she does not view as profitable. She remains highly interested in self-driving
cars and mobile programmatic advertising. She previously rose through the ranks at Morgan Stanley,
meaning Porat is focused on the numbers.36

Amie Thuener O’Toole, Chief Accounting Officer and Vice President

Other Board Memberships: none
Amie Thuener O’Toole is the Chief Accounting Officer of Alphabet, meaning she has significant influence
in financial decision making. Along with the Chief Financial Officer, O’Toole is in charge of ensuring the
financial solvency of Alphabet. Specifically, O’Toole is responsible for Alphabet’s corporate controllership
including consolidation and governance and SEC Reporting and Global Accounting Policy. She also leads
the financial teams for several Alphabet subsidiary companies, including Verily, GV, CapitalG, Waymo, and
DeepMind.37

Ellen West, Vice President-Investor Relations

Other Board Memberships: none
Ellen West is the Vice President of Investor Relations for Alphabet and the cohead of Google’s New York
office. As VP of Investor Relations, West is responsible for the messaging of the Board’s actions to
investors and the general public. West has a strong background in external communications, leading

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communications for Google before accepting her current position. She also has significant experience in
corporate social responsibility, having acted as a consultant before coming to Google in 2007.

Torrence Boone, Vice President-Global Client Partnerships

Other Board Memberships: Macy's, Inc., Pond5, Inc., Citizen Schools, Inc.,The Joyce Theater Foundation,
Inc.
Torrence Boone is the Vice President of Global Client Partnerships for Alphabet, where he leads a multi-
billion-dollar global sales channel. In this role, Boone leads the global marketing and sales team, focusing on
creating advertisement deals that push the adoption of Google products. He has significant experience
within the advertising world, which influences his board decisions. Boone has contacts throughout the
advertising world that he can leverage to his advantage at Alphabet.38

Eileen Naughton, Vice President-People Operations

Other Board Memberships: L'Oréal SA
Eileen Naughton is the leader of Alphabet’s Human Resources (HR) division. As the head of HR,
Naughton is responsible for talent acquisition and management within Alphabet and Google. She has
significant influence over personnel decisions and is familiar with the talent structure at Google. She
previously held Torrence Boone’s position as the Vice President of Global Client Partnerships before
joining HR four years ago.39

Robert M. Califf, Head Strategy and Policy

Other Board Memberships: Cytokinetics, Inc., Keystone Symposia
Robert M. Califf, a former U.S. Food and Drug commissioner, is the Head of Strategy and Policy at
Alphabet. His specific focus is Alphabet’s health subsidiaries. Before coming to Alphabet and Google, Califf
helped create the Duke Clinical Research Institute (DCRI), the nation’s largest academic clinical research
organization. Cliff was brought into this position in 2019 as Alphabet looked to redefine and refocus its
health subsidiaries.40

Frances Hamilton Arnold, Director

Other Board Memberships: Gordon Research Conferences, Provivi, Inc., Illumina, Inc., Donna & Benjamin
M Rosen Bioengineering Center
Frances Hamilton Arnold serves as a director on the Alphabet Board. She does not have an executive suite
position within Alphabet, but instead serves in an advisory role. Arnold is currently Linus Pauling Professor

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of Chemical Engineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology and won the Nobel
Prize in Chemistry for her work in enzymes. Her knowledge base and connections serve her well on the
Board, especially when it comes to Alphabet’s health subsidiaries.41

Lawrence E. Page, Director

Other Board Memberships: National Academy of Engineering, X PRIZE Foundation
Lawrence (Larry) E.Page is a director on the Alphabet Board of Directors. A co-founder of Google, Page
was the CEO of Alphabet from its creation in 2015 until December of 2019. He remains a controlling
shareholder within Alphabet, even as his daily involvement in the company has declined. Page was CEO of
Google from 1998 to 2001, and then again from 2011 to 2015. Like Sergy Brin, Page is inclined to
moonshot investments that have become unpopular among fellow board members. He wants to take risks
and invest in the next Google, and so is more comfortable with risky projects that might not bring in a large
amount of profit. He is a backer of a space exploration company as well as "flying car" startups Kitty Hawk
and Opener.42

Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin, Director

Other Board Memberships: none
Sergey Mikhaylovich Brin is a director on the Alphabet Board of Directors. A co-founder of Google, Brin
was previously the president of Alphabet. Although his official role within Alphabet is now diminished, he
remains a controller shareholder in the company and wields significant power as one of the founders of
Google. Brin is now focusing on Alphabet’s moonshot research lab X as well and investing in aerospace
projects. Brin enjoys taking risk and views Alphabet as a place to experiment. He wants to push the
envelope of what is possible within the realm of technology, which can put him in conflict with other board
members.43

John LeRoy Hennessy, Chairman

Other Board Memberships: Gordon & Betty Moore Foundation, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub
John L. Hennessy is the Chairman of the Alphabet Board of Directors. In this position he leads board
meetings in addition to leading board meetings for all of the independent directors on the Board. Hennessy
is currently Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at Stanford University, after having
served as Stanford’s President from 2000 to 2016. He is an expert in computer architecture and focuses his

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investments in this area. Through his roles at Stanford, Hennessy has significant connections with academia,
which influences how he approaches his position on the Board.44

Louis John Doerr, Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Cardinal Analytx, Inc., QuantumScape Corp., Amyris, Inc., Life Technologies
Clinical Services Lab, Inc., iControl Networks, Inc., The Aspen Institute, Inc., Bloom Energy Corp.,
Renmatix, Inc., Essence Group Holdings Corp., Coursera, Inc., Flipboard, Inc., MyFitnessPal, Inc.,
Purkinje, Inc., Ogin, Inc., Betterworks Systems, Inc., True Software Scandinavia AB, Lumeris, Inc.,
DoorDash, Inc., Tradesy, Inc., NewSchools Venture Fund, Google LLC
Louis John Doerr is an independent director on Alphabet’s Board of Directors and is the chairman of
venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. Kleiner is one of the premier venture capital firms in Silicon Valley,
having backed Amazon, AOL, Compaq, Electronic Arts, Google, Netscape and Twitter. Doerr has an eye
for up-and-coming companies to invest in, a skill that serves him well on Alphabet’s Board. Doerr is not the
riskiest investor, but he does not always advocate for the safest route either.45

Ann Mather, Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Blend Labs, Inc., Veem, Inc., Planet Labs, Inc., Glu Mobile, Inc., Wine
Network, Inc., Netflix, Inc., Google LLC, Arista Networks, Inc., Dodge & Cox Funds, Airbnb, Inc.
Ann Mather is an independent director of the Alphabet Board of Directors. In addition to serving on
Alphabet’s Board, Mather is a well-connected woman, serving on 10 other boards. Earlier in her career
Mather was the Senior Vice President-Finance & Administration at The Walt Disney Co. and Chief
Financial Officer & Executive Vice President at Pixar Animation Studios, Inc. Mather’s connections lie
mostly in the entertainment industry, although she is also involved in a number of scientific research
companies. Mather is more of a creative thinker, inclined to take a bit more risk than some other board
members.46

Alan R. Mulally, Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education & Research, Google LLC, Carbon,
Inc., Mayo Clinic
Alan R. Mulally is an independent director on the Alphabet Board of Directors. Mulally served as the
President and Chief Executive Officer of Ford Motor Company from 2006 to 2014. From 2001 to 2006,
Mulally was the Executive Vice President of the Boeing Company and President and Chief Executive

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Officer of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Inc. Mulally has a strong c-suite background as well as a strong
engineering background. He is interested in the use of technology within the aerospace and engineering
industries. He has significant connections within the engineering industry that may help him as he guides
Alphabet’s investment decisions.47

Ram Kavitark Shiram, Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Stanford Health Care, Antheia, Inc., Google LLC, Plaxo, Inc., Stanford
University, Zazzle, Inc., Paperless, Inc., [24]7.ai, Inc., Skycatch, Inc.
Ram Kavirark Shiram serves as an independent director on the Alphabet Board of Directors. Shiram was an
early investor in Google, although he has now sold most of his stock. In the late 1990s, Shiram became a
vice president at Amazon, where he worked for several years before investing in technology startups. As a
man with his finger on the pulse of the startup industry, Shiram has insights and ideas about where Alphabet
should be investing its money. His connections throughout the technology industry may also prove useful. 48

Roger Walton Ferguson Jr., Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (New York), The Teachers Insurance
& Annuity Association of America-College, Institute for Advanced Study, Inc., International Flavors &
Fragrances, Inc., Math for America, Rally Health, Inc., Committee for Economic Development, American
Council of Life Insurers, The Conference Board, Inc., General Mills, Inc., Smithsonian Institution
Roger W. Ferguson, Jr., is President and Chief Executive Officer of The Teachers Insurance & Annuity
Association, a retirement financial services organization, and is an independent director of the Alphabet
Board of Directors. He is the former Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the U.S. Federal Reserve
System. He served on several key Fed committees and represented the Fed on multiple international policy
groups. His current specialty is in life and retirement insurance, which informs his board decisions. As a
man with a strong financial background, Ferguson is concerned with the financial stability of Alphabet as a
company. He is open to some risk, but is wary of the “moonshot” projects Alphabet previously invested
heavily in.49

Robin L. Washington, Independent Director

Other Board Memberships: Kite Pharma UK Ltd., Vertiv Holdings Co., Children's Discovery Museum,
Honeywell International, Inc., salesforce.com, inc., Gilead Connecticut, Inc., UCSF Benioff Children's
Hospital Oakland, Gilead Sciences Europe Ltd., Gilead Sciences International Ltd.

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Robin L. Washington is the Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Gilead as well as an
independent director on the Alphabet Board of Directors. Before her work at Gilead, Washington was the
Chief Financial Officer of Hyperion Solutions. As an independent director, Washington is not intimately
involved in Alphabet’s daily operations, but instead acts as more of an advisor. A well-connected woman,
Washington could leverage her other board positions to help Alphabet in its investments. 50

Notes

1 Alphabet. “Alphabet.” Accessed October 8, 2020. https://abc.xyz/.

2 Goldman, David. “Google Is Now Alphabet. What It Means ... in 2 Minutes,” August 11, 2015.
https://money.cnn.com/2015/08/11/technology/alphabet-in-two-minutes/index.html.
3 “Who Is Sundar Pichai and What Does Alphabet Do?” BBC News, December 4, 2019, sec. Technology.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50656803.
4 Ibid.
5 “GOOGL | Alphabet Inc. Cl A Company Profile & Executives - WSJ.” Accessed October 8, 2020.

https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/GOOGL/company-people.
6 “Calico.” Accessed October 8, 2020. http://calicolabs.com.
7 Deepmind. “About.” Accessed October 8, 2020. https://deepmind.com/about.
8 “Artificial Intelligence and Privacy.” The Norwegian Data Protection Agency, January 2018.

https://iapp.org/media/pdf/resource_center/ai-and-privacy.pdf.
9 Alphabet Investor Relations. “Alphabet Investor Relations.” Accessed October 8, 2020. https://abc.xyz/.
10 Ibid.
11 “Artificial Intelligence and Privacy.” The Norwegian Data Protection Agency, January 2018.

https://iapp.org/media/pdf/resource_center/ai-and-privacy.pdf.
12 Ibid.
13 Meyer, Sarah. “Artificial Intelligence and the Privacy Challenge.” CPO Magazine, December 26, 2018.

https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/artificial-intelligence-and-the-privacy-challenge/.
14 Xie, Dr Yinglian. “AI and Data Privacy: Compatible, or at Odds?” Infosecurity Magazine, May 13, 2020.

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com:443/opinions/ai-privacy-compatible-odds/.
15 State of California - Department of Justice - Office of the Attorney General. “California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA),”

October 15, 2018. https://oag.ca.gov/privacy/ccpa.

16 General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). “General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – Official Legal Text.” Accessed

October 9, 2020. https://gdpr-info.eu/.

17 Teich, David. “Artificial Intelligence And Data Privacy – Turning A Risk Into A Benefit,” August 10, 2020.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidteich/2020/08/10/artificial-intelligence-and-data-privacy--turning-a-risk-into-a-
benefit/#15501adc6a95.
18 Kerry, Cameron F. “Protecting Privacy in an AI-Driven World.” Brookings (blog), February 10, 2020.

https://www.brookings.edu/research/protecting-privacy-in-an-ai-driven-world/.
19 Rosner, Giliad, and Erin Kenneally. “Privacy and the Internet of Things: Emerging Frameworks for Policy and Design.” CLTC

Occasional White Paper Series. Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity, 2018. https://cltc.berkeley.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2018/06/CLTC_Privacy_of_the_IoT-1.pdf.
20 Ibid.
21 Lindsey, Nicole. “Smart Devices Leaking Data To Tech Giants Raises New IoT Privacy Issues.” CPO Magazine, October 1,

2019. https://www.cpomagazine.com/data-privacy/smart-devices-leaking-data-to-tech-giants-raises-new-iot-privacy-issues/.
22 Nivea, Richard. “Google and Nest Reunite in Push to Add AI to Every Gadget,” February 7, 2020.

https://www.cnet.com/news/google-and-nest-reunite-in-push-to-add-ai-to-every-gadget/.
23 Ibid.
24 Teich, David. “Artificial Intelligence And Data Privacy – Turning A Risk Into A Benefit,” August 10, 2020.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidteich/2020/08/10/artificial-intelligence-and-data-privacy--turning-a-risk-into-a-
benefit/#15501adc6a95.
25 Rigby, Michael. “Artificial Intelligence in Health Care.” AMA Journal of Ethics 21, no. 2 (February 1, 2019): 119–97.

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Background Guide – Alphabet

26 Hamet, Pavel, and Johanne Tremblay. “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.” Metabolism, Insights Into the Future of Medicine:
Technologies, Concepts, and Integration, 69 (April 1, 2017): S36–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.011.
27 Nazha, Aziz. “Does AI Have a Place in Medicine?” Scientific American Blog Network, November 11, 2019.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/does-ai-have-a-place-in-medicine/.
28 Hamet, Pavel, and Johanne Tremblay. “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.” Metabolism, Insights Into the Future of Medicine:

Technologies, Concepts, and Integration, 69 (April 1, 2017): S36–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.011.

29 Hamet, Pavel, and Johanne Tremblay. “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine.” Metabolism, Insights Into the Future of Medicine:

Technologies, Concepts, and Integration, 69 (April 1, 2017): S36–40. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2017.01.011.

30 Rigby, Michael. “Artificial Intelligence in Health Care.” AMA Journal of Ethics 21, no. 2 (February 1, 2019): 119–97.
31 Ibid.
32 Greenfield, Daniel. “Artificial Intelligence in Medicine: Applications, Implications, and Limitations.” Science in the News

(blog), June 19, 2019. http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2019/artificial-intelligence-in-medicine-applications-implications-and-

limitations/.
33 “Calico - Research & Technology.” Accessed October 9, 2020. https://www.calicolabs.com/research-technology.
34 Deepmind. “About.” Accessed October 8, 2020. https://deepmind.com/research.
35 “Who Is Sundar Pichai and What Does Alphabet Do?” BBC News, December 4, 2019, sec. Technology.

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-50656803.
36 Forbes. “Ruth Porat.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/ruth-porat/.
37 THE ORG. “Amie Thuener - VP, Chief Accounting Officer at Alphabet.” Accessed October 11, 2020.

https://theorg.com/org/alphabet/team/amie-thuener.
38 “About Torrence Boone.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://torrenceboone.com/.
39 Todd, Samantha. “Google Head Of HR Eileen Naughton To Step Down Amid Unrest At Tech Titan.” Forbes. Accessed

October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthatodd/2020/02/11/google-head-of-hr-eileen-naughton-to-step-down-

amid-unrest-at-tech-titan/.
40 Elias, Jennifer. “Alphabet Taps Former FDA Commissioner to Oversee Health Strategy and Policy.” CNBC, September 30,

2019. https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/30/alphabet-hires-robert-califf-ex-fda-commissioner-for-health-strategy.html.
41 The Franklin Institute. “Frances H. Arnold,” November 27, 2018. https://www.fi.edu/laureates/frances-h-arnold.
42 Forbes. “Larry Page.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/larry-page/.
43 Forbes. “Sergey Brin.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/sergey-brin/.
44 “Biography - John L. Hennessy.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://hennessy.stanford.edu/biography/.
45 DoerrContributor, ByJohn. “John Doerr.” Forbes. Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/john-doerr/.
46 “Ann Mather - Biography.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.marketscreener.com/business-leaders/Ann-Mather-

05G8LM-E/biography/.
47 Crunchbase. “Alan Mulally - Member of the Board of Directors @ Google - Crunchbase Person Profile.” Accessed October

11, 2020. https://www.crunchbase.com/person/alan-mulally.

48 Forbes. “Kavitark Ram Shriram.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.forbes.com/profile/kavitark-ram-shriram/.
49 “Roger Ferguson, President & CEO | TIAA.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.tiaa.org/public/about-

tiaa/leadership-team/roger-ferguson.
50 “Robin L. Washington | Gilead.” Accessed October 11, 2020. https://www.gilead.com/about/leadership/senior-

management/robin-washington.

15