Big news today out of Google. Vic Gundotra, Senior Vice President of Engineering, announced today that he is leaving the company after working there almost 8 years. After Re/code broke the story earlier today, Gundotra confirmed his departure via Google+ in a post called “And Then.” The post begins with a personal story about a family death that appears to have contributed to his decision to leave.
I have been incredibly fortunate to work with the amazing people of Google. I don’t believe there is a more talented and passionate collection of people anywhere else. And I’m overwhelmed when I think about the leadership of +Larry Page and what he empowered me to do while at Google. From starting Google I/O, to being responsible for all mobile applications, to creating Google+, none of this would have happened without Larry’s encouragement and support.
Gundotra leaves Google with nothing but praise for the rest of the company as well, saying that “I don’t believe there is a more talented and passionate collection of people anywhere else.”
A replacement for Gundotra has not been named yet but Re/code reports that VP of Engineering David Besbris has been tapped to take over as the head of Google+.
Gundotra gave no hints as to where he might land next, saying only that today was a day to “look forward to the journey yet to come.”
Sources : +VicGundotra // Re/code