Google CFO Patrick Pichette to retire

The US-based firm said it expects to find a replacement for Pichette within six months.

Google Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette on Wednesday announced his plans to retire from the global tech giant.

On his personal Google+ page, the 52-year old announced his plans and said he intends to go backpacking with his wife, Tamar, post retirement.

The US-based firm said it expects to find a replacement for Pichette within six months.

"On March 4, 2015, Google Inc's CFO, Patrick Pichette, informed the company of his intent to retire.

“The effective date of his retirement has not yet been determined," it said in a filing to the US SEC.

Patrick indicated that he intends to assist in the search for a new CFO and ensure an orderly transition, which the company expects, will occur within the next six months, it added.

In a separate post on Google+, CEO Page wished Pichette well and described his ‘unconventional’ farewell note as ‘well worth reading.’

Pichette, on his blogpost, said he had decided to retire after a recent trip climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa when his wife suggested they continue travelling.

"I could not find a good argument to tell Tamar we should wait any longer for us to grab our backpacks and hit the road -- celebrate our last 25 years together by turning the page and enjoy a perfectly fine mid-life crisis full of bliss and beauty, and leave the door open to serendipity for our next leadership opportunities, once our long list of travels and adventures is exhausted," he wrote.

He added that he wished to ‘transition over the coming months but only after we have found a new Googley CFO and help him/her through an orderly transition, which will take some time.’

Last year, Google Chief Business Officer Nikesh Arora quit the Mountain View-headquartered firm to join Japan's SoftBank Corp as the Vice Chairman.

Its social networking services head Vic Gundotra also left in April 2014.

Image: Patrick Pichette; Photograph: Kind courtesy, Google