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FILE picture (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File)
Google Cloud has reportedly undergone a major leadership shift in its partner organization. According to a report in CRN, "Google Cloud’s global partner program leader Colleen Kapase has suddenly left the $71 billion cloud giant and is being replaced by Microsoft’s former worldwide channel sales head David Smith.
"David Smith, a Microsoft veteran of almost 30 years and most recently its vice president of worldwide channel sales, joined Google in November 2025. However, during that time Google did not disclose Smith's official title. The move reportedly comes as Colleen Kapase, who spearheaded the company’s recent partner program overhaul, departs the $71 billion cloud giant to "pursue opportunities outside of Google Cloud.
"A Google Cloud spokesperson confirmed the transition to CRN, noting that Smith will report directly to Kevin Ichhpurani, President, Global Partner Ecosystem at Google Cloud. In a statement to the publication, Google spokesperson said, "In his new role, David will lead the agentic transformation of our channel."
David Smith is one of the most-high profile Microsoft execs to join Google
The appointment is said to bring one of Microsoft’s most seasoned channel figures into the Google ecosystem.
Smith’s tenure at Microsoft spanned nearly three decades, during which he held high-profile roles including vice president of worldwide channel sales, vice president of US partners, and general manager of worldwide SMB sales. After leaving Microsoft, Smith joined Google in late 2025, initially signaling his excitement for the company's mission on social media.“Google Partners are the ultimate force multiplier in this endeavor,” Smith said in a LinkedIn post in November last year.
“I am eager to work hand-in-hand with this dynamic ecosystem to scale our impact and deliver unprecedented value to every customer.” He further emphasized that the opportunity ahead for partners is "massive," particularly in leveraging Google's innovation to solve complex global challenges.
In a prior post marking his departure from Microsoft, Smith wrote that he is “grateful for the profound learning, the radical transformation in tech, and especially the trusted relationships built along the way” during his Microsoft career.Smith previously worked as vice president of the U.S. partner business until 2022 and VP of worldwide small and medium size business (SMB) sales from 2017 to 2022.
When Colleen Kapase said: AI is Google’s Birthright
The departure of Kapase marks the end of a pivotal chapter for Google Cloud’s partner strategy. Having joined the company in early 2024, Kapase was reportedly instrumental in architecting and rolling out the new partner program currently being implemented.
She is popular for her comments on Google's AI prowess. In an interview to CRN, Kapase had said, "I have to be honest, AI is Google’s birthright. This is Google’s chance to shine here.
Because when you look at their cloud infrastructure, it was built with AI in mind since the very beginning—from a network infrastructure perspective, all the way down.”“We’re not talking to our customers anymore about what Google’s technology can do.
We’re talking about the outcomes at a meaningful level about, ‘AI can drive you to the following answers. It can help with the production of things in the following ways.’ So that means refocusing on partners that have that deep, deep industry expertise,” Kapase reportedly said. She added, “We’re going to double down on that more than we ever have before.
”This leadership change arrives at a moment of intense momentum for the provider. Google Cloud recently reported a record $17.7 billion in revenue for the fourth quarter of 2025, a staggering 48 percent increase year over year. As the company leans into "agentic transformation," Smith is expected to leverage his decades of enterprise and SMB experience to further scale this rapidly growing ecosystem.
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