Google employee Urs Holzle, who has been with the company for 24 years, will be stepping back from his management role, according to HaberTusba.

Holzle, who was Google’s eighth employee, has been leading technical teams for many years. Most recently, he oversaw technical infrastructure for Google Cloud, reporting directly to CEO Thomas Kurian. His organization consisted of over 12,000 employees.

In his transition, Holzle will be classified as an “individual contributor,” which means he will be working independently and no longer managing employees.

Holzle has played a crucial role in Google’s success since its early days. His team in infrastructure has significantly reduced the energy consumption of Google data centers, surpassing the industry average.

In an email to employees, Holzle stated that he will focus on a limited number of technical assignments and provide advice. He plans to articulate technical AI processes, facilitate discussions, and encourage quicker decision-making.

The move coincides with a shakeup within Google’s cloud organization, as mentioned in an email from Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian.

Google faces pressure to continue growing its cloud revenue amid competition from Amazon and Microsoft in both cloud services and artificial intelligence.

This move follows a reorganization in April, where Jeff Dean, who led Google’s AI efforts, also transitioned to an “individual contributor” role and assumed the title of “chief scientist.”

Google has been urging employees to return to physical offices, resulting in controversy when Holzle announced his move to New Zealand while others were expected to come back to the office.

In recent all-hands meetings, more company executives have made physical appearances.