Ruth Porat, born in 1957 in Sale, Cheshire, England, is a notable British-American corporate leader who has made important contributions to the financial and technological industries. As of 2025, she is the President and Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary, Google LLC. She previously served as both firms’ Chief Financial Officer (CFO) from 2015 until 2024.
Early Life and Education
Porat was born to Dan and Frieda Porat. Her father, Dan, escaped Vienna during Kristallnacht and eventually relocated in Mandatory Palestine, where he joined the British Army and participated in the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. Ruth’s family relocated to Cambridge, Massachusetts, when she was young, when her father obtained a physics research grant at Harvard University. They eventually moved to Palo Alto, California, where Dan Porat worked at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
Ruth Porat’s academic background is noteworthy. Her degrees include a Bachelor of Arts in economics and international relations from Stanford University, a Master of Science in industrial relations from the London School of Economics, and an MBA with distinction from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School.
Career at Morgan Stanley
Porat started her work with Morgan Stanley in 1987. She returned to Morgan Stanley in 1996, following a brief stint at Smith Barney in 1993. She has held various prominent roles throughout her career, including Vice Chairman of Investment Banking and Global Head of the Financial Institutions Group. She was named Morgan Stanley’s Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer in January 2010, and she served in that capacity until May 2015.
During the 2008 financial crisis, Porat was instrumental in helping the United States Department of the Treasury on the reorganisation of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, as well as assisting the New York Federal Reserve Bank with AIG. Her leadership at this era gained her notoriety as one of the most prominent women in Wall Street.
Transition to Google and Alphabet
Porat announced her retirement from Morgan Stanley in March 2015 to become Google’s CFO, effective May of that year. Her settlement amount, apparently at $70 million, emphasised the gravity of her decision. She was recognised at Google with creating financial discipline, restructuring the firm, and increasing transparency, all of which contributed to enhanced investor trust.
Porat became CFO of both Alphabet Inc. and Google when the company was founded in October 2015. In July 2023, she was elevated to the newly created post of President and Chief Investment Officer, starting September 1, 2023. In this role, she is responsible for the company’s “Other Bets” projects, private equity portfolios, and real estate, infrastructure, and data centre investments.
Board Membership and Recognition
Porat has held positions on several notable boards, including the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center’s Board of Trustees, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Board of Directors, and The Blackstone Group’s Board of Directors. She has also served on the Board of Trustees of Stanford University and the Borrowing Advisory Committee of the United States Treasury.
Her impact on the economic sector has been extensively recognised. In 2023, Forbes rated her as the 12th most influential woman in the world, while Fortune named her sixth among the most powerful women in business. In 2024, the Financial Times named her one of the 25 most important women, emphasising her revolutionary effect across several areas.
Personal Life
Ruth Porat married Anthony Paduano, a partner at the Paduano & Weintraub law firm, in 1983. The couple has three children. Porat, a breast cancer survivor, has spoken openly about her experience, emphasising the value of perseverance and drive.
Political viewpoints and advocacy
Porat has been a strong supporter of a variety of political issues. She supported Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaigns in 2008 and 2016, and hosted fundraisers in New York City. In 2011, she campaigned for higher taxes on the rich, saying, “We cannot cut our way to greatness.”
In popular culture
Porat’s part in the 2008 financial crisis was dramatised in the 2011 HBO film “Too Big to Fail,” starring Jennifer van Dyck.
Ruth Porat’s career path exhibits a combination of financial ability, strategic leadership, and a desire to innovate. Her path from Wall Street to Silicon Valley demonstrates her versatility and capacity to shape the future of global finance and technology.
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