The head of Google+ is leaving Google.

Vic Gundotra, the senior vice president of social, has announced on Google+ that he is departing from Google, though he did not specify where he is headed or even why he decided to part ways with a company he's helped shape for nearly eight years. The executive simply wrote an emotional goodbye letter and told consumers he is looking forward to "the journey yet to come."

"Today I'm announcing my departure from Google after almost 8 years," wrote Gundotra. "I don't believe there is a more talented and passionate collection of people anywhere else. And I'm overwhelmed when I think about the leadership of +Larry Page and what he empowered me to do while at Google. From starting Google I/O, to being responsible for all mobile applications, to creating Google+, none of this would have happened without Larry's encouragement".

According to website Recode, which cited unnamed sources, Larry Page, co-founder and CEO of Google, has already appointed David Besbris, vice president of engineering, as Gundotra's successor. Page hasn't yet announced who is replacing Gundotra, though he wished the executive well on Google+ and told consumers that Google plans to continue working on Google+ and building great new experiences for Google+ users.

"Vic -- thank you for a tremendous almost eight years at Google. You cut your teeth on our mobile apps and developer relations, turning our disparate efforts into something great. When I first used turn-by-turn navigation, it blew me away," wrote Page. "And, walking onto the stage at I/O last year, it was amazing to see developers so excited about Google. These were vintage Vic projects. Then you built Google+ from nothing."

READ: Google's Vic Gundotra teases Nexus phones

Gundotra became a senior vice president in 2011 and has spearheaded the search engine's social endeavours ever since. He was also a part of the “L-Team” at Google. It's a group of executives that report directly to Page. Prior to his career at Google, Gundotra also had a stint at Microsoft, where he was the General Manager of Platform Evangelism.

We've contacted Google for a comment, and we will update when and if we hear more information.