In a surprise announcement, Google (GOOG) says chief financial officer George Reyes will retire by the end of the year, staying around long enough to help transition his replacement.
"I know I'm leaving the company in good hands with a remarkable team of professionals that will continue to build on Google's tremendous achievements," Reyes said in a statement.
Reyes was one of the key players in the process of Google being taken public in August 2004. There was a lot of hollering and consternation when the company decided to use an auction to price the shares rather than investment bankers deciding a value and distributing shares to their leading customers.
If you remember, Reyes' mention of the type of earnings growth the company had been enjoying wouldn't be sustainable over a long period of time - at an investor conference - caused the stock to plunge the most in its short history.
While rumors and speculation have already starting flying as to why he's leaving, it's probably nothing more than a personal choice to retire at the top of his game, and at 53, enjoy the millions he received when exercising his options at the end of 2006. He received about $26 million at the time he exercised them a $5 a share.
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