Google Cloud Partner Program head who said ‘AI is Google’s birthright’, departs ‘suddenly’; Microsoft’s former channel sales head takes over

Google Cloud has reportedly undergone a major leadership shift in its partner organization. According to a report in CRN, “Google Cloud’s global partner program leader Colleen Kapase has suddenly left the $71 billion cloud giant and is being replaced by Microsoft’s former worldwide channel sales head David Smith.”

David Smith, a Microsoft veteran of almost 30 years and most recently its vice president of worldwide channel sales, joined Google in November 2025.