About

Mel Silva is the VP and Managing Director for Google Australia and New Zealand. She is responsible for ensuring the organisation delivers on Google’s mission for users and the community, supporting the amazing teams in both countries, and overseeing the work it does across sales, partnerships and platforms to help businesses grow.

Since joining Google in 2007, she has held a number of senior roles in Australia and APAC region. Prior to coming home to Sydney in 2018, Mel and her family spent two years in Singapore, where she was responsible for Google's Go to Market Strategy & Operations team across APAC.

Before joining Google, she was the General Manager at Fairfax Digital’s Direct Access. She also has an extensive product and marketing background in the Financial Services sector with organisations including Citibank, ING Direct and AMP.

Mel is a strong advocate for Reconciliation and diversity. She helped launch Google Australia’s third Reconciliation Action Plan, aiming to enable and encourage every Googler to become active contributors to Reconciliation and, as chair of the Google Australia and New Zealand Diversity Council, is helping drive initiatives to improve diversity, equity and inclusion at Google and across the industry.

Mel is also a music lover and avid supporter of the Australian music industry, describing the partnership between ARIA and YouTube Music in 2019 as one of her proudest moments. It should therefore come as no surprise that karaoke (especially at home with the hubby and kids) is one of her favourite pastimes.