Ruth Porat
Born 1957 · Age 68
British–American business executive; long-time finance leader at Morgan Stanley and chief financial officer (2015–2024) and later president & chief investment officer (2023–) of Alphabet and Google.
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Life & Career Timeline
Birth in Sale, Cheshire, England
Born into a Jewish family in Sale, Cheshire, England, daughter of Dan and Frieda Porat.
Family move to Cambridge, Massachusetts (early childhood)
Porat moved at a young age to Cambridge, MA, where her father was a research fellow in Harvard University's physics department.
Family move to Palo Alto, California (early childhood)
Approximately three years after the Cambridge move, the family relocated to Palo Alto where Dan Porat worked at SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory.
B.A. in Economics & International Relations from Stanford (approx.)
Porat earned a B.A. in economics and international relations from Stanford University. (Year estimated from standard graduation age.)
M.Sc. in Industrial Relations from LSE (approx.)
Porat completed an M.Sc. in industrial relations at the London School of Economics. (Year approximate.)
Marriage to Anthony Paduano
Married Anthony Paduano, a partner at the law firm Paduano & Weintraub.
M.B.A. with distinction from Wharton (approx.)
Porat earned an MBA with distinction from Wharton (University of Pennsylvania). Timing estimated; aligns with career start at Morgan Stanley in 1987.
Left Morgan Stanley for Smith Barney
Left Morgan Stanley in 1993 to follow Morgan Stanley president Robert F. Greenhill to Smith Barney.
Returned to Morgan Stanley
Porat returned to Morgan Stanley in 1996 after a stint at Smith Barney.
Father's Holocaust testimony taken by USC Shoah Foundation
Dan Porat's testimony about surviving Nazi persecution was recorded by the USC Shoah Foundation in 1996 (family-related event that shaped Porat).
Credited with European debt financing that helped save Amazon
While a banker at Morgan Stanley, Porat was credited with creating European debt financing that helped Amazon survive the dot-com meltdown.
Became Vice Chairman of Investment Banking at Morgan Stanley
Porat served as vice chairman of investment banking from September 2003 to December 2009.
Appointed Global Head of Financial Institutions Group
Porat served as global head of the Financial Institutions Group from September 2006 to December 2009.
Led Morgan Stanley advisory on 2008 financial crisis matters
Led Morgan Stanley teams advising the U.S. Department of the Treasury on Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac and worked with the NY Federal Reserve on AIG-related matters during the 2008 crisis.
Named Executive Vice President & CFO of Morgan Stanley
Porat became executive vice president and chief financial officer of Morgan Stanley, serving from January 2010 to May 2015.
Joined Stanford University Board of Trustees
Stanford's Board of Trustees welcomed Porat as a new member (reported August 17, 2010).
Profiled in McKinsey study 'How Remarkable Women Lead'
Porat's career was analyzed in McKinsey & Company's study 'How Remarkable Women Lead'.
Publicly discussed personal breast cancer battle
Porat was featured discussing battling breast cancer and continuing to work (Big Think coverage).
Portrayed in HBO movie 'Too Big to Fail'
In the 2011 HBO film 'Too Big to Fail' Ruth Porat was portrayed by Jennifer van Dyck.
Publicly supported Hillary Clinton for president (2008 and 2016 fundraisers noted)
Porat supported Hillary Clinton politically and hosted fundraisers at the Dakota in New York City.
Presented at Bretton Woods Committee meeting (IMF hosted)
In May 2011 Porat presented to the Bretton Woods Committee in Washington, D.C. on post-crisis reform and financial legislation.
Spoke at World Economic Forum in Davos
Porat spoke at Davos in 2013 on trust within and of the financial sector.
Reported as a contender for U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary
Reports indicated President Obama was considering Porat for the Deputy Secretary of the Treasury role.
Withdrew from consideration for Deputy Treasury role
Porat contacted White House officials to withdraw her name from consideration in March 2013, citing factors including Morgan Stanley conditions and confirmation environment.
Named 'Best Financial Institutions CFO' by Institutional Investor
Institutional Investor poll named Porat Best Financial Institutions CFO on its 2014 All-America Executive Team.
Joined Advisory Council of Hutchins Center at Brookings
Porat became a member of the Advisory Council of the Hutchins Center on Fiscal and Monetary Policy at the Brookings Institution (announcement March 27, 2014).
Politico profile 'Porat: The Most Powerful Woman On Wall Street'
Politico published a profile highlighting Porat's influence on Wall Street.
Announced as new CFO of Google / Alphabet
Alphabet announced Porat would join Google as CFO, with an effective start date of May 26, 2015.
Hiring package reported at approximately $70M
Bloomberg Business reported that Porat's hiring deal with Google totaled about $70 million (cash + equity/awards reported).
Officially started as CFO of Google/Alphabet
Porat took up the role of Chief Financial Officer of Google and parent company Alphabet, reporting broadly on finance and related operations.
Purchased Palo Alto house reportedly for $30M
Porat reportedly paid $30 million for a home in Palo Alto in September 2015.
Reported total pay for 2016: $39M
Reported compensation for 2016 was $39 million (total compensation figure from Alphabet filings/media reports).
Delivered Wharton commencement address
Porat gave the commencement address for graduates of the Wharton School.
Spoke at Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit
Porat spoke in Dana Point, CA, in her capacity as CFO of Alphabet and Google.
Reported total pay for 2018: $47M
Alphabet proxy/filings reported Porat's pay for 2018 as approximately $47 million.
Named 'Best Internet CFO' by Institutional Investor (2018 All-America Executive Team)
Institutional Investor named Porat Best Internet CFO for the 2018 All-America Executive Team.
Reported total pay for 2020: $50M
Alphabet reported Porat's total compensation for 2020 at approximately $50 million.
Joined Board of Directors of The Blackstone Group
Porat was added to Blackstone's board of directors (reported June 25, 2020).
Led Google's $800M small business relief & COVID-19 response effort
Porat led Alphabet/Google's $800 million small business relief and Covid-19 crisis response program.
Promoted to President & Chief Investment Officer of Alphabet and Google (announcement)
Alphabet announced Porat's promotion to the newly created role of president and chief investment officer; responsibilities include overseeing 'Other Bets' and investment portfolios. Promotion effective September 1, 2023.
Assumed role as President & CIO at Alphabet/Google
Porat formally began her role overseeing Other Bets, private equity portfolios, and investments in real estate, infrastructure, and data centers.
Ranked 6th on Fortune's Most Powerful Women list (2024)
Fortune placed Porat sixth on its Most Powerful Women list in 2024.
Ranked 12th most powerful woman by Forbes (2024)
Forbes listed Porat as the 12th most powerful woman in the world in 2024.
Named Co-chair of 'The Partnership for San Francisco'
San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie named Porat co-chair of 'The Partnership for San Francisco' alongside Laurene Powell Jobs (reported March 2025).
Gave ASCO speech on Google AI and cancer research
Porat gave a speech at ASCO highlighting Google's AI advancements in cancer research (reported June 4, 2025).
Key Achievement Ages
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