The Road Less Traveled, with Jim Marocco

Jim Marocco started his career doing temp jobs out of college and couch surfing. He eventually made his way to Google where he became the VP of Finance and Corporate Controller. Jim grew up talking about money with his family around the breakfast table.  This instilled a financial confidence that enabled him to leverage the little breaks in life and catapult his career. He’s a reformed pessimist who now describes himself as a raging optimist. His wife was a big influence on his changed outlook. They have faced many challenges – including a potentially life shortening one – with a united front that has allowed them to beat the odds.

Jim started working at Google in 2003, responsible for a variety of key financial activities including accounting and controls, compliance, forecasting and analysis, financial and order management systems, strategic deal support and managing outsourced operations. When the Alphabet holding company structure was first created, Jim managed a global team responsible for all financial activities associated with Google’s “Other Bets” business segments, which included products such as Google Fiber and autonomous cars.

Prior to joining Google, Jim held various financial and management positions at technology companies including the parenting media start-up Dr. Spock Company, Lycos, internet start-up WhoWhere?, and NEC Technologies.

Jim has served on the Corporate Advisory Board for the Northern California chapter of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation since 2011 in support of his wife, Larissa, who has cystic fibrosis and received a double lung transplant in 2018. He also serves on the Dean’s Advisory Council for Cal Poly’s Orfalea College of Business. Jim graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a B.S. degree in Economics.

Currently, Jim is a stay-at-home dad of twin middle schoolers and actively volunteers within the local school district and as a youth sports coach. He is training his boys in the art of lawn mowing.

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