14 DAY TRIAL // Xiaomi's VP Hugo Bara has just announced he will be leaving the company effective February 2017. After trying to make Xiaomi a global brand since it arrived in China four years ago, Barra says he will return home where his friends and family are waiting for him.
An important piece of the puzzle in what Xiaomi defines as “global expansion,” Hugo Barra has done a great job bringing the Chinese brand to countries like India, Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, and 20 other markets like Russia, Mexico, and Poland.
Barra's departure puts Xiaomi's global expansion plans under pressure, as the Chinese handset maker stated numerous times in the past that it wanted to establish a solid foothold on the US market.
Now that its main asset will leave the ship, it remains to be seen whether the person to take Barra's place will be able to cope with the requirements of a different business model that smartphone makers have adopted in competitive markets like the United States.
Hugo Barra claims that he's leaving the company in great shape, as the brand is now well-known globally, something that was beyond comprehension four years ago.
“As I thought about this late last year, 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.”
As for his personal plans, Barra did not disclose too many details on his next adventure, but it will be interesting to see which company the soon-to-be-ex-Xiaomi VP will choose.
In a post on his Facebook page, Hugo Barra said he recently realized that living far from his family and friends had taken a toll on his personal life, which is one of the reasons he decided to return home to Silicon Valley.
“For me, as for many people in China, the Spring Festival brings new beginnings, and I will be transitioning out of my role at Xiaomi in February after Chinese New Year. I will take some much-needed time off before embarking on a new adventure back in Silicon Valley.”