Google Inc. announced Wednesday that it has named President Tilghman to its board of directors. Tilghman is now "literally one of the bosses" at Google, according to Eric Schmidt '76, chairman and CEO of the popular search engine, who also serves as a University trustee.
"She is a natural leader," Schmidt said in an interview. "She understands how to deal with very smart people moving very quickly."
Tilghman joins a board that includes Stanford president John Hennessy, top venture capitalists and business executives in the technology industry, including members of Intel and Sequoia Capital.
Tilghman said she views the position as an opportunity to learn about an industry vital to the University.
"Google is a company from which I can learn a lot because Google fundamentally is in the information business," Tilghman said in a phone interview. "Universities of course have to be adept in the distribution of knowledge, and also in the dissemination of knowledge."
Schmidt, who joined Princeton's board of trustees last year, recognized Tilghman's potential as a successful corporate leader during his work with the University.
"To be very honest, she's just very smart — I mean just raw intellect," Schmidt said. "I think you can see that from her accomplishments."
He emphasized that Tilghman was selected not because of her association with his alma mater, but because of her strong qualifications. "It happens to be a coincidence that I had met her through Princeton," he said.
Tilghman said the University board of trustees encouraged her to join at least one corporate board upon becoming president, and she suspects Google was actively recruiting academic leaders.
"It's an honor to welcome a woman of Dr. Tilghman's reputation to our board," Schmidt said in a statement. "Google is a company born out of university research, so we look forward to tapping into her extraordinary talents as an accomplished academic, and as a champion of discovery."
Google spokesperson Lynn Fox also cited Tilghman's academic leadership as a reason for her selection.
"We welcomed her onto the board because of her ability to lend her expertise as an academic who is deeply rooted in scientific research and discovery," Fox said in an email. "She also has a solid track record of encouraging the progress of women in science. Overall, her background is a natural fit for Google's culture and values."
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