Alphabet executive chairman Eric Schmidt will step down in January

(Reuters) — Alphabet Inc said on Thursday its Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt will step down in January, ending a 17-year-run in which he played a central role in building a promising startup called Google into a global technology powerhouse.
He will continue to serve on the Alphabet’s board of directors and act as an adviser on focused on technical and science issues, the company said. (bit.ly/2BXJzz6)
“The time is right in Alphabet’s evolution for this transition,&rdquo