It’s Official: Hugo Barra Is Leaving Xiaomi

After almost four years of promoting Xiaomi and ensuring its rapid expansion outside of China, Hugo Barra is leaving the company. Barra feels his role in the company has ended and is longing to return to Sillicon Valley #todaymagic

VP of International of Xiaomi , Hugo Barra announced its departure on Facebook, explaining that it was a decision taken entirely for personal reasons:

“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.”

Barra’s life in Sillicon Valley began in 2010, when he joined the Android team and under his supervision the Android ecosystem came to life. He was there when Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and KitKat OS were launched, as well as when Google introduced the Nexus series on the market (Nexus 4 and 5 phones and Nexus 7 and 10 tablets). Before taking his new role at Xiaomi, Barra was VP of Produc Management at Google Android.

Clearly, he has a lot to go back to now, even though he was Xiaomi’s darling for four years. Barra was the company’s ambassador in the West, a well-known and respected figure in the tech industry. He helped the company expand its range of products, although Xiaomi lost its place in the top 5 smartphone vendors last year. That said, they did come up with an amazing handset at the end of the year…

Unfortunately, Barra didn’t have the opportunity to really bring these products to attention in the US. While Xiaomi phones stole the show on several occasions, they never went for sale in America, stifling his efforts massively.

Hugo Barra said he would be leaving the company next month, after the Chinese New Year, and take time off before “embarking on a new adventure back in Silicon Valley.”