Gabriel Stricker

Education

Stricker earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley and his master's degree in International Affairs from Columbia University.

Career

Stricker previously worked in campaign politics and was featured in the Discovery-Times documentary, Venezuela: Revolution in Progress about the 2004 Presidential Recall Referendum in Venezuela. He currently sits on the boards of the Center for Investigative Reporting and the Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

Alphabet

The hiring of Stricker to lead policy and communications at Google Fiber fueled speculation that Alphabet would accelerate its plans to bring high speed internet connectivity more broadly across the United States. Jennifer Fritzsche, senior analyst at Wells Fargo, published in her research report: "the appointment of executive Gabriel Stricker as Head of Policy and Communications for Google Fiber, is an indication that Google is getting more serious about its fiber expansion." Google Fiber has been hailed as "the most audacious part of the whole Alphabet," but more recently faced doubts: "now its broadband future is 'TBD'." TechCrunch reported, "Stricker, long involved in pushing forward free expression... [will have] plenty of opportunities to advance similar movements." It was speculated that he would be responsible for advancing the interests of key policy matters such as net neutrality. Stricker described his motivation in joining Fiber as "personal," and a consequence of having grown up "in a small Northern California town where internet speed is only a little better than dial-up."

Twitter

Prior to Alphabet, Stricker served as the head of Communications and Public Policy at Twitter. Before his arrival at Twitter, the service was widely viewed as vanquished in the marketplace. Former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo told the Los Angeles Times, "So when Gabriel joined the company, it was like 'Your job: no dying birds on national magazine covers'." Costolo and others in the industry credit Stricker with the turnaround in Twitter's public image.

During Twitter's IPO process, Stricker was a central figure in its road show and was responsible for having Twitter users ring the NYSE bell instead of Twitter executives—an unconventional decision which earned Twitter significant praise. Stricker managed Twitter's IPO without the assistance of any external consultants, as is the norm.

While at Twitter, Stricker accepted the Radio Television Digital News Association's First Amendment Award and made frequent public remarks about free speech and censorship. BuzzFeed News reported that Stricker and Twitter’s General Counsel’s "desire for radically free expression" clashed with CEO Costolo’s attempts to censor content. Separately, Vanity Fair detailed how Stricker led an internal effort to force Twitter to be more transparent with investors and the public at large about Twitter’s stagnant user growth, and he departed the company when that effort wasn’t endorsed by the rest of Twitter’s executive leadership.

Google

Before Twitter, Stricker was Director of Global Communications & Public Affairs at Google, Inc., where raised the issue of free expression and frequently defended the company's refusal to censor information. Stricker was at the center of several controversial episodes in Google’s development, including its Google Book Search Settlement Agreement, the launch of the contentious Google Health product, and criticisms surrounding Google’s alleged transformation into a media company.

Stricker was part of a cohort of former Google policy and communications executives who went on to lead similar functions at technology companies across Silicon Valley.

Recognition

Stricker has been described as a "Zen Master" of marketing and communications by the Holmes Report. He was ranked on In2’s "Innovator 25" for being one of the 25 "individuals who are shaping what influence and engagement will look like tomorrow," one of PRWeek's top-20 "Digital Influencers" for having "the greatest impact on communications," one of the most effective communications professionals by Business Insider, and was listed by the Holmes Report as one of the world's 100 most influential corporate communicators.

Publications

Stricker is the author of the bestselling book on guerrilla marketing entitled, Mao In the Boardroom. Publishers Weekly reviewed the book as "a curious amalgam of humor and business advice," and the Chicago Tribune said it "describes how capitalist warriors apply [Mao's theories] on the corporate battlefield today." Time Magazine reported that Roc-A-Fella Records' Damon Dash and his advisors were initial consumers of the book.

Personal life

Stricker was raised in Mendocino, California. He served as a volunteer at the Zen Hospice Project in San Francisco.