Hugo Barra, who has been a part of Xiaomi's success globally, is now stepping down from the position of Global Vice President. Barra had been heading the position since August 2013 after he left Google. In a Facebook post, Barra expressed his feelings on leaving Xiaomi and heading back to Silicon Valley.
He will be leaving China in February after the Chinese New Year ends. The reason behind leaving Xiaomi was Barra's feeling of detachment with his friends and family in Silicon Valley. To recall, Barra worked hard to get Xiaomi to a global level. All that work is the reason why Xiaomi has gained a brand status in India, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Brazil, Singapore, Malaysia, North Africa, and the Middle East.
Now that Barra is leaving the company, his position will be taken by Xiang Wang who is currently the senior vice president at Xiaomi. However, Barra will still be on advisory board for Xiaomi.
An extract from his Facebook post reads,"What I’ve realized is that the last few years of living in such a singular environment have taken a huge toll on my life and started affecting my health. My friends, what I consider to be my home, and my life are back in Silicon Valley, which is also much closer to my family. Seeing how much I’ve left behind these past few years, it is clear to me that the time has come to return."
With this decision by Hugo Barra, it would be interesting to see how Xiang Wang fills in his shoes and take the global expansion forward.
