In a move bound to surprise many, Hugo Barra today announced that he will be stepping down from his role of Vice President for Xiaomi for international markets. The move comes after Barra joined Xiaomi 3.5 years ago and has helped the company make a global presence since then.
Barra was previously the Senior Vice President and product spokesperson for Android at Google. When he joined Xiaomi back in 2013, the move came as a shock to many. Hugo notes that Xiaomi is “in a very good place on its global expansion path,” with the company posting $1 billion in revenues in India, launching a product in association with Google at CES 2017, and expanding to Russia, Mexico, and Poland. In his announcement, Barra notes that working at Xiaomi has taken a toll on his life as he has had to stay away from his family, friends, and his home, all of which are back in Silicon Valley. Thus, he will be returning to Silicon Valley for a new adventure now. Barra will be leaving Xiaomi in February following the Chinese New Year. He will be taking some time off after which he will be returning to Silicon Valley. Xiaomi might be struggling in China against rivals like Oppo, Vivo, and Huawei, but under Barra’s leadership, the company has grown exponentially in foreign markets, especially in India where Xiaomi became the fastest company to reach the $1 billion revenue mark.
