Meet Kate Alessi: Leading Google UK & the AI Opportunity

The UK has always had a special place in my story. Canary Wharf is where my career began in the 90s, during a period of profound transformation for the country’s financial sector. Reflecting on my first three months as Google UK lead, it’s clear that the pace of AI innovation is driving an even greater sense of historic opportunity, not just in the City, but across the entire country.

Recently, I attended a technology industry dinner at the historic Mansion House. The evening was an electric pairing of tradition and transformation - a blend that the UK has perfected. The room was filled with British business leaders, policymakers, and trailblazers across the tech sector, eager to uncover how AI-powered technologies could help solve some of the biggest challenges of our generation. This opportunity to build on the country’s rich heritage for pioneering world leading breakthroughs is why I’m excited to be back in the UK to lead Google’s operations here.

The UK: a hub for AI innovation & cultural influence

During my 15 years at Google, I’ve held a variety of regional and global roles, partnering with a diverse range of organisations to turn complex challenges into technological opportunities. Throughout that time, the UK has always stood out as a hotbed of innovation, a global epicenter for AI research — in particular, the work of our remarkable Google DeepMind colleagues — and a pioneer in the international advertising industry.

The UK has long been a nation of early adopters. This is why the UK was one of the first countries to roll-out new Gemini-powered products, such as AI Mode — a new way to search for information, developed to cater to the growing number of people asking longer and more complex queries.

UK consumer behaviour is constantly evolving, across streaming, scrolling, searching, and shopping. That’s why Google and YouTube are uniquely positioned to empower UK businesses to thrive, in a dynamic digital environment. It’s been inspiring getting to know the teams here in the UK who are helping businesses of all sizes meet the moment and use AI-powered tools to turn their online presence into real-world revenue, providing a vital engine for UK economic growth.

The UK’s cultural influence is undeniable, as evidenced by well established homegrown British YouTube creators, such as Amelia Dimoldenberg and Brandon B who have become new media powerhouses in their own right. Or the England squad Lionesses, like Lucy Bronze who are both athletes and content creators in their own right, inspiring young female footballers to strive for excellence on and off the pitch, while winning for the UK. YouTube, which celebrated its 20th birthday earlier this year, is transforming how businesses use AI to reach new audiences. I’m proud of our leadership in this space, and the site’s potential to connect even more brands with a new generation of consumers.

Seizing the opportunity ahead

The construction of our first UK data centre in Waltham Cross, our new King’s Cross development and our AI Works initiative — our partnership with British organisations to help uncover the most effective ways to accelerate AI adoption and upskilling — are just some of the significant investments we’re making in the UK’s digital future. The UK is a country unlike any other and this is an incredible time to be back.