Xiaomi Global Vice-President Hugo Barra, who was instrumental in putting the Chinese upstart in the world tech map, has said he will no longer be part of Xiaomi and will return to Silicon Valley after his present tenure is over.
"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," Barra announced in his Facebook post.
Barra has been an inseprable part of Xiaomi's dream run in the last several years. From being marked as an Apple copycat to carving a niche of its own, Xiaomi had a remarkable run. And one man stood out in the pack every time the Chinese upstart announced the next step in its growth or the next offing.
When Hugo Barra came from the Silicon Valley in 2013, after his long tenure with Google, Xiaomi was just limited to Greater China. He was instrumental in expanding the company across Asia and beyond to reach more than 20 countries.
However, Barra feels like this is a good time to go. "I concluded that Xiaomi is in a very good place on its global expansion path, and if there was ever going to be a good time for me to come back home, that time is now — when I can confidently say our global business is no longer just an in-house startup."
Barra will be succeeded by Xiang Wang, a senior vice president who currently leads the Supply Chain and Intellectual Property team and will now divert himself at bolstering the firm's international expansion plans.
