Ending an era at the Internet's biggest search company, Google co-founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page are leaving their leadership roles and CEO Sundar Pichai will become chief executive of both Google and its parent company, Alphabet.

Page is stepping down as CEO of Alphabet, while Brin is resigning as its president. They will remain board members of Alphabet.

"We've never been ones to hold on to management roles when we think there's a better way to run the company," they wrote in a letter Tuesday. "And Alphabet and Google no longer need two CEOs and a President."

In an email to Google employees, Pichai said that in his more than 15 years with Google, "the only constant I've seen is change. This process of continuous evolution — which the founders often refer to as 'uncomfortably exciting' — is part of who we are."

The restructuring at the top of Google comes as at time of increased turmoil for the Internet giant. Google fired four engineers last week for what they say was their labor-organizing efforts. They said they will file a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board.

Last year, thousands of Google workers around the world walked out in protest of sexual harassment and bad behavior by executives.

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