Hugo Barra, VP of Product Management for Android, is leaving his post at Google and heading to Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi. This news was first reported by AllThingsD, then later confirmed by Google.
Hugo Barra confirmed the news himself on his Google+ account.
“In a few weeks, I’ll be joining the Xiaomi team in China to help them expand their incredible product portfolio and business globally — as Vice President, Xiaomi Global,” he wrote.
Xiaomi is considered to be the “Apple of China” and makes mobile devices that run off the Android platform, so Barra won’t be completely distant from the OS he helped enthusiastically build. There’s no word yet on what the specific role Barra will play at Xiaomi.
Android, indisputably one of the most important endeavors at Google, has been undergoing some upheaval. In March, Andy Rubin, who guided the mobile software to be the world’s most popular over Apple, stepped down to “start a new chapter at Google.”
A Google spokesperson stated that “We wish Hugo Barra the best. We’ll miss him at Google and we’re excited that he is staying within the Android ecosystem.” Hugo Barra has been with Google since March of 2008. That’s a big position Google has to fill.
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