Google plans restructuring 30,000-people ad sales unit as automation booms

Alphabet-owned Google plans to reorganize a big part of its 30,000-person ad sales unit, The Information reported on Tuesday, citing a person with knowledge of the situation.

Sean Downey, who oversees ad sales to big customers in the Americas, said at a department-wide meeting last week that Google plans to restructure its ad sales teams without specifying whether the move would include layoffs, according to the report.

Google intended to consolidate staff, including through possible layoffs, by reassigning employees at its large customer sales unit who oversee relationships with major advertisers, the report said, citing another person briefed on Google’s plans.