UpdatedVic Gundotra, Google’s senior vice president for social and one of the creators of Google Plus, is leaving the Googleplex.
In a post on Google Plus, Mr. Gundotra offered sentimental praise of his Google co-workers and his boss, Larry Page, the chief executive of Google.
“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,” he wrote. Mr. Gundotra noted that he was indebted to Mr. Page, “and what he empowered me to do while at Google.”
The news was first reported by Re/Code.
Mr. Gundotra has been a strong proponent for Google Plus, constantly defending the platform as a vital social network even in the face of criticism.
“Not only is Google Plus not a ghost town,” Mr. Gundotra told me in an interview at the company’s Mountain View, Calif., headquarters in 2012, but “we have never seen anything grow this fast. Ever.”
David Besbris, Google’s vice president for engineering, is expected to take over Google Plus, according to a person with knowledge of the internal changes.
Bradley Horowitz, a Google Plus vice president for product, who is heavily involved with Google Plus and was one of the creators of the company’s social network, was not picked to take over the division, although he was largely expected to be promoted.
Last year Google said that Google Plus had reached 540 million people who used the service each month. The company said that people upload 1.5 billion photos every week on the service.
Mr. Page praised Mr. Gundotra in a Google Plus post.
“You cut your teeth on our mobile apps and developer relations, turning our disparate efforts into something great,” he wrote, before praising Mr. Gundotra for building Google Plus from scratch. “There are few people with the courage and ability to start something like that and I am very grateful for all your hard work and passion.”
Mr. Gundotra would not say what his plans would be after he leaves Google. “I am excited about what’s next. But this isn’t the day to talk about that,” he wrote. “This is a day to celebrate the past eight years. To cry. And smile. And to look forward to the journey yet to come.”