Still, it’s the end of an era. Schmidt ran Google during its rapid growth from a search startup to a tech colossus that branched out into smartphones, email and numerous other fields. Sergey Brin and Larry Page hired him to offer Google serious business credibility and leadership, and to that extent he succeeded.

He attracted plenty of criticism, though. Schmidt downplayed privacy concerns during his CEO stint, effectively arguing that you had nothing to fear if you had nothing to hide. His position on Apple’s board raised eyebrows when Android became public. He made some astute predictions for the future, including the rise of AI, but he’s also known for overestimating Google’s chances of success in other categories. Remember how he believed most TVs would use Google TV by summer 2012? Google became a powerhouse under Schmidt, but some of its lingering privacy and product issues began during his stint.

Schmidt, who first joined Google as CEO in 2001, has been slowly making his exit from the company in recent years. He stepped down as executive chairman of Alphabet’s board in 2017, choosing to devote his time to charity work through his family foundation. Schmidt’s departure from Alphabet’s board comes just as the company reported it was falling short of its earnings goals. Just last month, the EU fined Google $1.7 billion for abusive ad practices.

After 18 years of board mtgs, I’m following coach Bill Campbell’s legacy & helping the next generation of talent to serve. Thanks to Larry, Sergey & all my BOD colleagues! Onward for me as Technical Advisor to coach Alphabet and Google businesses/tech, plus…..

— Eric Schmidt (@ericschmidt) April 30, 2019

Diane Greene, who served as CEO of Google Cloud until being replaced by a former Oracle executive back in January, is also leaving the board this summer. Greene, who pushed for the controversial Project Maven project, stepped down as CEO of Google Cloud after nearly four years of service back in November. Alphabet also announced that Robin L. Washington, the current Executive Vice President and CFO of Gilead Sciences, will be joining the board.