Next TV Innovation Awards 2022: Shalini Govil-Pai

By David Bloom
( NextTV )
last updated

Google’s top TVOS operative leads the company's ferocious global battle for market share of connected devices and screens

Google platform chief Shalini Govil-Pai
(Image credit: Google)

The Next TV Summit on September 13, part of the 10th annual NYC TV Week, will for the first time include the Next TV Innovation Awards, recognizing CEOs, technologists, strategists, creatives, marketers and other executives leading some of the most innovative companies in the video business. Each day from Sept. 2-13, our Next TV SmartBrief will profile one of our seven 2022 Innovation Awards honorees. (You can sign up for the SmartBrief here.) For more information about the summit and the award winners and other NYC TV Week events visit nyctvweek.com.

Shalini Govil-Pai
GM and VP of TV Platforms, Google

Two years after launching Google’s second smartTV interface, Google TV, Shalini Govil-Pai still faces plenty of challenges as a top TVOS operative, leading the company’s troops in the ferocious global battle for market share of connected devices and screens. 

At the same time, she’s overseeing integrations of those interfaces with Google’s many other ventures and its even more numerous partners. To get there, Govil-Pai has an ambitious vision for the future of “the largest screen in the house” as a central hub for smart homes that integrates with the world’s biggest ad-supported service (YouTube), the AI-powered Google Assistant, third-party hardware and much else. 

“We expect to see a rise in creative use cases from video providers with shopping on-screen or shared viewing experiences,” Govil-Pai said in a written interview. 

“The role of the TV will also continue to expand beyond entertainment for other use cases that make sense, like fitness, gaming and video conferencing,” she added.  

Google TV launched as an upgrade/successor/flashier younger sibling to the widely used Android TV. Since then, Govil-Pai has presided over a string of improvements, including user profiles, an upgraded ambient mode, a virtual remote, new apps and integrations with Apple TV Plus, Sling TV, Philo and Pluto TV.

Previously announced Next TV Innovation Award honorees:

Todd Achilles
Co-founder, CEO and President, Evoca

Meredith Brace
Chief Marketing Officer, Samba TV

Matt Duarte 
VP of Strategy and Business Development YES Network 

Shalini Govil-Pai
GM and VP of TV Platforms, Google

Erick Opeka 
Chief Strategy Officer, Cinedigm

David Bloom
David Bloom

David Bloom of Words & Deeds Media is a Santa Monica, Calif.-based writer, podcaster, and consultant focused on the transformative collision of technology, media and entertainment. Bloom is a senior contributor to numerous publications, and producer/host of the Bloom in Tech podcast. He has taught digital media at USC School of Cinematic Arts, and guest lectures regularly at numerous other universities. Bloom formerly worked for Variety, Deadline, Red Herring, and the Los Angeles Daily News, among other publications; was VP of corporate communications at MGM; and was associate dean and chief communications officer at the USC Marshall School of Business. Bloom graduated with honors from the University of Missouri School of Journalism.