Groupon President Leaving Company
CHICAGO (CBS/WBBM) -- Rob Solomon, the president and chief operating officer of Groupon is leaving the company and returning to California, a Groupon spokeswoman said late Tuesday.
Solomon "will remain a friend and advisor to the company,'' spokeswoman Julie Mossler said, quoting Groupon chief executive officer and founder Andrew Mason. Officials did not say why he was leaving.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Regine Schlesinger reports
Podcast
Solomon could not be reached for comment Tuesday. He told Dow Jones that he was leaving in part because the company had grown too big and "needed a much different type of operator to take it to the next level.''
Solomon's departure comes as Groupon, the Chicago-based daily-deal Web site, is widely believed to be preparing for an initial public officer to go public. There is no official word on an IPO.
Solomon, 44, an All-American water polo player who helped the University of California at Berkeley win two NCAA titles in the mid-1980s, gained career recognition as a Silicon Valley tech veteran and crack marketing strategist. He joined Groupon in March of last year and moved his family — including his wife, three children and three dogs — to Chicago in April.
In the interview with the Chicago Sun-Times, Solomon said that Mason "is going to be the long-term CEO of this company."
The Chicago Sun-Times contributed to this report, via the Sun-Times Media Wire
