Stephen Gillett

Stephen Gillett
Born	(1976-01-20) January 20, 1976 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupations	Technology entrepreneur Advisor
Title	Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Verily

Stephen Gillett (born January 20, 1976) is a prominent American entrepreneur and technology executive. He currently serves as the Chairman and CEO of Verily, previously known as Google Life Sciences. He formerly held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Chronicle Security, an Alphabet subsidiary that originated from X, the innovation lab often referred to as the moonshot factory, established in 2016. Gillett also maintains an advisory role at X, formerly GoogleX.

Early life and education

Born in Los Angeles, California, Gillett has Lebanese heritage through his father, who hails from Tripoli, Lebanon. During his middle school years, he relocated to Eugene, Oregon. He pursued higher education at the University of Oregon, where he was part of the Oregon Ducks football team and competed in the 1996 Cotton Bowl Classic. After earning his bachelor's degree, Gillett advanced his studies by obtaining a Master of Business Administration from San Francisco State University.

Corbis

In 2006, Gillett took on the role of Chief Information Officer at Corbis, a digital media enterprise founded by Bill Gates. His responsibilities included overseeing global technology strategies, engineering initiatives, and directing platform development for Corbis' e-commerce and multimedia licensing operations. Notably, he launched a Corbis gallery within the virtual environment of Second Life, an online platform that had expanded to over 9 million users since its inception in 2003.

Starbucks

In early 2008, Gillett was appointed Chief Information Officer at Starbucks, shortly after Howard Schultz resumed his role as CEO. At that time, he became one of the youngest CIOs ever appointed within a Fortune 500 company. He spearheaded the technological overhaul of Starbucks under Schultz's leadership, overseeing global technology initiatives integral to the company's transformation. In 2009, Gillett established the Starbucks Digital Ventures team and took on General Manager responsibilities alongside his CIO duties. Under his guidance, Starbucks introduced several technological innovations, including complimentary wifi, mobile payment options, and the Starbucks Digital Network. The pivotal role of Starbucks Information Technology during this transformation is detailed in the book “Onward: How Starbucks Fought for Its Life without Losing Its Soul”.

Best Buy

In March 2012, Gillett joined Best Buy as President and Executive Vice President of Digital, Marketing, and Business Services based in Minneapolis, MN. He played a key role in shaping the 2012 strategic overhaul known as Renew Blue, which was unveiled during the Q4 2012 Investor meeting. Gillett stepped down from his position at Best Buy in December 2012 to move back to Silicon Valley.

Symantec

Gillett became a member of Symantec’s Board of Directors in 2011, serving on the audit committee. The following year, in 2012, he took on the role of Chief Operating Officer at Symantec. During his tenure, Gillett managed the divestment of the Veritas division, which was completed in 2015. Following the company’s split and subsequent elimination of the COO role, Gillett exited Symantec. However, Symantec indicated that he would continue supporting the company in a non-executive capacity during the transition phase in 2015.

Alphabet and Google

In 2015, Gillett took on the role of executive in residence at Google Ventures (currently known as GV), where he continues to provide strategic guidance. The following year, he transitioned to Google X (now referred to as X), the innovation lab focused on breakthrough projects. Gillett served as CEO of Chronicle, an Alphabet cybersecurity venture that originated from X, which was later integrated into Google Cloud. Presently, he is the Chairman and CEO of Verily Life Sciences, Alphabet’s health technology division based in Dallas, Texas.

Board of directors

Since 2022, Gillett has held the position of chairman of the board at Granular Insurance. Additionally, he serves as an independent board member for Dutch Bros beginning in 2021, and has been on the board of Discord since 2020.

Earlier in his career, Gillett was a director at Symantec from 2011 until 2012, where he contributed as a member of the audit committee. From 2015 through 2017, he was part of the board at Chipotle Mexican Grill, where he actively participated in both the audit and nominating and governance committees.

Awards and honors

In 2006, Wired recognized Gillett as a pioneering Guild Master within the World of Warcraft community.

The Aspen Institute included Gillett in its 2010 Henry Crown Fellow Program, alongside notable peers such as Reid Hoffman and Tim Westergren. This fellowship aims to cultivate the next wave of business leaders committed to community-focused leadership.

In 2011, Gillett was featured on the Executive Dream Team list by CNNMoney.

The following year, InformationWeek honored him with the title of Technology "Chief Of The Year". Additionally, in 2012, Appinions recognized him as one of the most impactful marketing executives in the United States.

In 2023, Modern Healthcare included Gillett among its “100 Most Influential People in Healthcare.”

For both 2024 and 2025, D Magazine acknowledged Gillett as one of "The Most Powerful Business Leaders in Dallas-Fort Worth." That same year, he was also inducted into the San Francisco State University Alumni Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Gillett resides with his family in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. He has maintained a long-standing engagement with MMORPG gaming.

Books

• From Simi Valley to Silicon Valley (2019)