About Newton:
Newton Cheng is Google’s Director of Global Health & Performance. He’s spent his 12-year career at Google developing, launching and scaling global programs aimed at helping Googlers to thrive. Today he oversees Google’s global fitness and massage/recovery programs. He spends much of his time exploring how Google can leverage spaces and services, community, culture and technology to drive the physical, mental, and social health of Googlers, their families, and neighbors.
Newton’s career before Google includes diverse highlights such as helping to design the hardware for Sony’s Playstation 3 by finding novel ways to increase the speed of a simulation platform by 1000x, teaching M.B.A. students at the University of California, Berkeley, as an award-winning leadership instructor, and performing as a breakdance soloist in a piece with Ballet San Jose.
He lives in Sunnyvale, CA with his wife, daughter and four cats. In his spare time he trains as a competitive powerlifter, has set five U.S. and 18 California state records, and is a world bronze medalist and two time US national champion.
Resources:
Newton’s instagram
Newton breakdancing at Google
Newton Cheng: Health & Performance Innovation Manager, Google– Haas interview on YouTube, May 2018 (6 mins)
Articles featuring K. Anders Ericsson study on the correlation between high performers and naps:
Sure, Practice Makes Perfect– but it isn’t enough Inc.
The Quiet Secret to Success– Greater Good Magazine
Newton’s competition videos:
2019 Worlds in Sweden
2019 US Nationals
Newton’s beer recommendations:
Pliny the Elder
Hazy IPAs (article)
Heady Topper
Humble Sea
Heineken
Newton’s recommended books:
Building Brand Communities (Charles Vogl)
The Art of Community (Charles Vogl)
Life on Purpose (Victor Strecher)
Relentless (Tim Grover)
Pocket Guide to Interpersonal Neurobiology (Dan Siegel)
Together (Vivek Murthy)
The Science of Organizational Change (Paul Gibbons)
Doughnut Economics (Kate Raworth)