Google Chief Financial Officer Patrick Pichette is calling it quits to go backpacking around the world almost seven years after joining the tech giant—and he says it’s because there’s never a good time to quit the rat race.
In a Google Plus post Tuesday evening, Pichette, 52, described his decision as one born out of the realization that he couldn’t come up with a good reason to delay spending more time traveling with his wife, who is named Tamar.
Third, this summer, Tamar and I will be celebrating our 25th anniversary. When our kids are asked by their friends about the success of the longevity of our marriage, they simply joke that Tamar and I have spent so little time together that “it’s really too early to tell” if our marriage will in fact succeed.
If they could only know how many great memories we already have together. How many will you say? How long do you have? But one thing is for sure, I want more. And she deserves more. Lots more.Allow me to spare you the rest of the truths. But the short answer is simply that 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 said he’ll stay at Google to help the transition toward a new CFO. “I feel I’m at a point in my life where I no longer have to have to make such tough choices anymore,” wrote Pichette. “And for that I am truly grateful.”
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