News : Google executive departs for LinkedIn

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A Google executive will depart in January to join LinkedIn, the professional social networking company said on Wednesday.

Dipchand "Deep" Nishar will be vice president of products for the company, which until now has focused on social networking, a LinkedIn spokesman said.

Nishar was most recently Google's senior director of products, Asia-Pacific.

A Google spokesman praised Nishar.

"We're grateful for Deep's contributions over the last five and a half years and wish him well in his new job," said Matt Furman in a statement.

Nishar is among several executives who have left Google for senior positions in less prominent firms.

(Reporting by David Lawsky, editing by Matthew Lewis)