Switzerland: Google Switzerland

Registered Office: Brandschenkestrasse 110, 8002 Zurich, Switzerland
Established: 2002
Legal Form: Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (GmbH)
Parent Company: Google International LLC → Alphabet Inc. (USA)

Overview

Google Switzerland GmbH is the Swiss subsidiary of Google LLC, operating under the global corporate structure of Alphabet Inc. The company is a significant regional hub for engineering, research, sales, and cloud services. Zurich is home to one of Google’s largest R&D centers outside the United States, often involved in the development of core products like Google Search, Gmail, Google Maps, and AI/ML infrastructure.

Ownership and Structure

Google Switzerland GmbH is fully owned by Google International LLC, a U.S.-registered subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., the holding company of all Google operations worldwide. The Swiss entity reports directly within the EMEA structure and is considered a strategic location for both technical innovation and regulatory liaison in Europe.

Key Activities and Operations

  • Engineering and R&D: Zurich is one of Google’s most important global development centers, employing thousands of software engineers and AI researchers.
  • Sales and Marketing: Focus on cloud solutions, advertising platforms (Google Ads, YouTube), and enterprise partnerships.
  • Google Cloud Region: Switzerland hosts a dedicated Google Cloud region (europe-west6), enhancing data sovereignty and latency performance for Swiss and European clients.
  • Policy and Legal Affairs: The company engages with Swiss and EU institutions on matters of privacy (GDPR, FADP), antitrust, taxation, and AI ethics.

Management

As of 2025, the Managing Director of Google Switzerland GmbH is Patrick Warnking, who has been with the company since 2010. He is a prominent figure in the Swiss tech ecosystem and serves on multiple advisory boards related to digital innovation and education.

Financial data are not undisclosed. Media and Journalism Research Center owns a set of financial data based on estimates from industry insiders, which it does not make public as it can’t be verified.