Arthur Levinson, former chairman of Genentech, has resigned from Google's board of directors, effective immediately. Levinson has been a member of Google's board since 2004, and served on Apple's board since 2000, a role he will continue to fulfil.
His departure comes as the two companies look to compete more directly and has ended US Federal Trade Commission interest in the companies. The FTC was conducting an antitrust investigation into the overlap but has now praised the companies for their willingness to resolve any issues without court proceedings.
Google issued a short statement, in which chief executive and chairman Schmidt described Levinson as a good friend and valued colleague.
"Art has been a key part of Google's success these past five years, offering unvarnished advice and vital counsel on every big issue and opportunity Google has faced," Schmidt said. "Though he leaves as a member of our Board, Art will always have a special place at Google."
Levinson said: "Working with Eric, Larry, Sergey and the whole Google team has been a remarkable experience for me. I greatly admire what they've built and have no doubt that Google has a terrific future."
The move comes just over two months since Schmidt announced that he was stepping down from the Apple board nearly three years after accepting a seat at the tech firm.
Schmidt's resignation came shortly after Google unveiled plans for a personal computer operating system that would likely compete with Apple's Mac computers as the two giants find themselves locking horns in areas they never previously competed in.
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