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Google VP Joins Former Business Chief Arora at SoftBank

Google’s old sales boss is getting the gang back together at SoftBank.

Asa Mathat

Liane Hornsey, a Google VP who led human resources for the sales organization, has departed for SoftBank International. She will lead human resources at the Japanese conglomerate, reporting to SoftBank president — and her former boss — Nikesh Arora, who left his role as Google’s chief business officer last summer.

“Liane is a very valued leader, known for her functional expertise,” a SoftBank spokeswoman said in an email. “She brings a wealth of experience and best practices. Like other SoftBank leaders, she will also be expected to work with our portfolio companies.”

Arora was named president in May, becoming second-in-command and heir apparent to CEO Masayoshi Son. In July, Arora said SoftBank’s venture arm was shifting its focus from small bets on startups to bigger investments in large private businesses.

Hornsey is not the first Google exec Arora has poached since departing. He also recruited David Thevenon, who previously led global partnerships for Android.

Update: An earlier version of this story said Hornsey would lead public affairs at SoftBank. She is running human resources. Apologies.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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