Is Google's Larry Page really the 'CEO of the Year'?

The tech giant's chief grabs a top honor, but critics question whether he deserves it

Larry Page
(Image credit: James Leynse/Corbis)

In April 2011, Google's Larry Page became CEO of the search giant he co-founded. Now, after just eight months on the job, he's been crowned "CEO of the Year" by Investor's Business Daily. The publication praised Page for boldly shaking up Google's management structure, for leading the company into new social ventures like Google Offers and Google+, and for growing revenue at a record pace. Was the boyish Page really the business world's best head honcho of 2011?

No way: You've got to be "kidding me," says Om Malik at GigaOm. Sure, Android is a "monster hit," but that's largely thanks to Android chief Andy Rubin. Meanwhile, Google's stock price increased just 6.88 percent in 2011. By comparison, Intel was up 16.31 percent, and Qualcomm rose more than 9 percent. It's true that Page made a lot of changes at Google — but "I see a lot of activity, but very few results." Apparently, "we are living in an era where activity counts for achievement."

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