Chris Phillips has long known the importance of connections ― and the hard, valuable work that goes into building them.

“Building and construction is part of my family’s DNA ― my grandfather founded a family-owned bridge and road construction company in the early 1940s in Columbus,” Chris says of the company whose work throughout Central Ohio still exists today.

So it’s no wonder why his fascination with connection helped lead Chris (BSBA ’97) to where he is today: vice president and general manager of Geo at Google, a role responsible for the company's portfolio of mapping products, including Google Maps, Google Earth and Waze.

“My career journey is about building, using the latest technology, and aiming to deliver products that matter for the world,” Chris says. “Earlier in my career I was fortunate to be a part of major shifts in behavior and technology, including the early days of online banking, and helping small businesses shift from computer software to mobile applications at Intuit. I also directed product and design for Amazon Music, when it evolved from downloading purchased music to music streaming.”

Other career stops include six years as chief product officer and head of technology at Pandora prior to its acquisition by SiriusXM, where he led new innovation that helped Pandora evolve to offer on-demand music alongside the radio experience. Following the acquisition, he stayed on at SiriusXM and became the chief product and technology officer before joining Geo at Google.

Now, he leads teams creating technology for daily commutes and business reviews helping people explore the world. A proud Fisher alumnus, Phillips shares personal insights and leadership lessons from his career, along with learnings that have helped Google Maps continue growing as one of the most used apps in the world. Google Maps recently announced it had reached more than 2 billion active users monthly.

Let’s start with what you’re currently building. What goes into building and maintaining Google Maps?

Building the map requires ongoing work to provide an accurate digital representation of the world for over 250 countries and territories. Many people don’t realize Google Maps is changing every day to reflect varying conditions. We are combining large datasets like roads and transit lines, businesses, places, and use imagery from satellite, aerial and Street View. We work with cities, merchants and more than 500 million people all around the world who contribute information like reviews, map updates and current disruptions on roads. All together, there are over 100 million updates to the map every day. You can think of building our map similar to constructing a layer cake ― putting together the base of the map in imagery and overlaying the data about road networks, traffic, buildings and then business information and addresses with conditions and insights about places and transportation networks.

What are the leadership qualities that have made you successful today?

In my experience, successful leaders listen, make clear decisions and foster strong trust within their teams. It’s key to be a facilitator who combines your own ideas and brings the best of what the team has to offer. When making a decision, explaining the rationale while also being open to pushback or new ideas, is fundamentally critical to drive support and alignment.

I also think it’s important to anticipate potential problems up front and even the reasons people may not support a decision or plan. By bringing those concerns forward early, you demonstrate you care about others and want to address concerns to better move forward together.

How have you built a culture of inclusivity as a leader?

I am passionate about leading and helping teams thrive. I have found creating an inclusive environment, with a team that is representative of the people you build the product for, leads to the best outcomes. When you create a culture that is inclusive, it requires an investment starting with empathy and active listening to others who are not like yourself, and who have different ways of thinking and working. This approach requires time, but with a diverse mix of talent and experiences, you can find the best solutions and build products that can reach many more people.

When I think about the legacy I want to leave in my career ― it’s to help build products that the world can’t live without, and likewise, help develop leaders that the world can’t live without. It’s why I dedicate time to sponsor and mentor people in different communities and at different points in their careers. My hope is to provide helpful support and grow the next generation of leaders ― both in my workplace and in giving back to the students at The Ohio State University.