{"slug": "google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product", "title": "Google hires former Gmail lead to be Chrome’s new VP of Product", "summary": "Google has hired Jacob Bank, former Director of Product Management for Gmail, Calendar, and Chat, as VP of Product for Chrome. Bank, who left Google in 2021 to found workflow automation platform Relay.app (shut down in August), will lead AI-focused initiatives in Chrome, building on existing Gemini integration. Several Relay.app employees are also joining the Chrome team.", "body_md": "Google has hired Jacob Bank as VP of Product for Chrome. The [announcement](https://x.com/jebank/status/2089330659265552665) was made today, with Bank previously working at Google for six years.\n\nIn 2015, Google acquired his Timeful smart calendar assistant, with some of those features integrated into Google Calendar and Gmail. The latter gained Smart Reply, Smart Compose, Nudging, and more under his purview. AI was also leveraged to boost anti-malware and anti-phishing protections. He started as a product manager and ultimately became Director of Product Management for Gmail, Calendar, and Chat.\n\nIn 2021, he left Google to found a workflow automation platform called Relay.app, which shut down in August. Several employees from Relay.app are joining the Chrome team today.\n\nIn a social media post, Bank teases “some really ambitious plans to help you work with AI in Chrome to get things done.” He notes that the browser is already people’s “primary workspace for productivity” and the “perfect place to collaborate with agents.”\n\nSo much of my work with AI involves passing the baton back and forth until I’m happy with the output, and in Chrome I can do that right where the app is already open.\n\nGoogle today offers Gemini in Chrome, with that instance of the assistant offering browser-specific capabilities, and auto browse integration [with Spark](https://9to5google.com/2026/07/30/gemini-spark-chrome-auto-browse/).\n\n*FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links.* [More.](https://9to5mac.com/about/#affiliate)\n\n[our homepage](http://9to5google.com/)for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Google on\n\n[exclusive stories](https://9to5google.com/feature/exclusive/),\n\n[reviews](https://9to5google.com/guides/reviews/),\n\n[how-tos](https://9to5google.com/guides/how-to/), and\n\n[subscribe to our YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/9to5google)", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product", "canonical_source": "https://9to5google.com/2026/08/17/chrome-new-vp-product/", "published_at": "2026-08-17 19:12:17+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-17 19:43:34.793315+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-agents"], "entities": ["Google", "Jacob Bank", "Chrome", "Gmail", "Calendar", "Chat", "Relay.app", "Gemini"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/google-hires-former-gmail-lead-to-be-chromes-new-vp-of-product.jsonld"}}