Google Boulder is getting a new leader.
University of Colorado Boulder alumna Bhavna Chhabra, who joined Google in 2016 as an engineering manager, will succeed Scott Green as the site leader, the company announced Tuesday.
Chhabra’s current title is director of engineering, and she is responsible for leading Google’s Boulder payments team that is working to monetize all Google products. Now she’s added Boulder tech site lead duties to her responsibilities, which involve representing “Google within the community and (to) be responsible for maintaining the overall health, impact and success of Google Boulder,” according to a Google news release. Google’s Boulder campus has about 1,300 employees.
Chhabra, a Boulder transplant from India, said she is looking forward to strengthening Google’s community connections. She doesn’t plan to change anything in the near future, because things are working efficiently on the Boulder campus.
“I’ll keep Scott’s legacy alive,” she said.
She said she plans to build on the good work put in place by her predecessor, particularly in encouraging volunteerism and engagement with the community. Her mantra is to lead by example.
“That’s the advice from Scott I’m going to always remember,” she said.
Green was effusive in his praise of Chhabra.
“Her impressive work ethic, positive attitude and dedication to achieving team goals have all led to this well-deserved expanded responsibilities, and I am confident in her ability to lead Google Boulder into the future,” Green said in a statement.
Green, who has been with Google for 13 years, will remain in an advisory role for Google Boulder until he retires later this year.
An avid biker, hiker, climber, backpacker and a mother of three, Chhabra said she has managed to strike a balance between her professional and personal life. The balance keeps her focused on what’s important, she said. She credits Boulder’s inclusive and open culture for helping her grow, for retaining her curiosity and for her ability to face a challenge head-on.
Since arriving in Boulder in 1993 for her computer science studies, Chhabra said she has never wanted to leave the city. Even when she worked in the Denver area from 1995 to 1998, she chose to commute daily rather than relocate. Prior to joining Google, Chhabra worked as senior engineering director at Qualcomm.
“I have always wanted to make a positive impact,” Chhabra said.
Working at Google gives her that opportunity because Google products are everywhere, the company has an invigorating work culture that pushes everyone beyond their comfort zones to help them discover their true selves and become great role models for others, she said.
Her ability to reach out to other team members, to communicate with them and to encourage them to find solutions to challenging problems probably earned her the new responsibility at Google, she said.
“I’ve both technical and personal skills. My forte is motivational leadership with an emphasis on relationship-building and nurturing diverse thought,” Chhabra said.