Google breaks up mapping and commerce; exec Jeff Huber steps down

SAN FRANCISCO -- Google’s senior ranks continue to shuffle with Jeff Huber stepping down as head of mapping and commerce.

Huber will move to Google X, the lab run by Google co-founder Sergey Brin that is working on experimental projects such as the wearable computer Google Glass and self-driving cars, a person familiar with the situation said. The move was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

With Huber’s departure, the mapping division will join the Google search team led by Alan Eustace and the commerce division will move under the advertising group led by Susan Wojcicki.

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“Jeff is an extraordinary executive. He just finished his first decade at Google -- having worked on some of our most complicated issues like ads, apps, payments and geo -- and now he is eager to work in more of a start up like environment,” Google said in an emailed statement.

Huber’s move coincides with Wednesday’s announcement that Sundar Pichai, who runs the Chrome Web browser and operating system, will replace Andy Rubin as head of Android mobile software.

Huber’s position grew in responsibility after Google executive Marissa Mayer left to run Yahoo Inc. last summer.

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