Meet Google's Next Generation Of Superstar Executives

If Salar Kamangar, the early Googler who's in charge of YouTube, ever decided to take a new assignment at the company—and that's a big if—a source tells us Mehrotra, YouTube's vice president of product management, would be a natural to step up. Mehrotra's steadily added to his responsibilities in recent years, and under him, YouTube has launched a host of new mobile products and revamped its service to emphasize channel subscriptions.

Hanke's startup Keyhole became Google Maps. But now Hanke is working on mixing the virtual and physical worlds through Niantic Labs, a startup-like "sphere of weirdness" within Google. So far, it's come out with travel-guide apps and an augmented-reality game, but there's surely more to come.

Our sources have told us that the best way to get a promotion at Google is to get an offer elsewhere. That seems to have worked out for Wright, a longtime search product leader. A source tells us Marissa Mayer tried to bring her over to Yahoo in a high-level position. (Yahoo declined to comment.) Instead, Wright got a new job as a vice president overseeing Google Now, the intelligent-assistant service that's a key part of Google's search and mobile strategy, and other products.

In February, YouTube opened up a studio for video creators in Tokyo—its third, including one in London and one in Los Angeles. That push into giving YouTubers more resources to make quality videos is spearheaded by Pickett, YouTube's head of global content operations. A former Navy fighter pilot, Pickett added a VP title last November, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Google's School For Geniuses >