Marissa Mayer Promoted to Run Google Local Products

This just in (via Bloomberg), Marissa Mayer, Google VP of search products, will switch roles and now head up all local and location products.

These are increasingly important areas of development for Google as evidenced by its public moves and conversations we’ve had with the company. The initiatives in this local bucket of course include Google Places, as well as mobile local products like Latitude.

Mayer is one of Google’s most public executive faces, kicking off many of its signature product launch events. She’s also one of Google’s first employees and its first female engineer. This exposure should lend both symbolic and practical emphasis on Google’s local efforts.

Mayer’s former role of VP of search products will be taken over by Udi Manber, VP of engineering for Web search and former CEO of Amazon’s local search play A9.

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