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Twitter's top product exec is taking off

Michael Sippey is saying goodbye after two years. The executive, who helped orchestrate the purchase of Vine, will continue to advise the company on product strategy.

Jennifer Van Grove Former Senior Writer / News
Jennifer Van Grove covered the social beat for CNET. She loves Boo the dog, CrossFit, and eating vegan. Her jokes are often in poor taste, but her articles are not.
Jennifer Van Grove
Michael Sippey, vice president of product at Twitter, speaks at LeWeb 2013.
Michael Sippey, now the former vice president of product at Twitter, speaking at LeWeb 2013. Stephen Shankland/CNET

Michael Sippey, Twitter's vice president of product, is moving on from the 140-character social network after two years with company, the executive announced Friday.

"Over the past few weeks I've talked with [CEO] Dick [Costolo] and [COO] Ali [Rowghani] about what I want next in my career, and what Twitter needs at this stage of its life. And I've decided that it's time for me to move on," Sippey wrote in an e-mail sent to staff.

Sippey had his hands in a majority of Twitter's consumer product and design initiatives, and was instrumental in the company's prelaunch acquisition of 6-second video app Vine. He said Friday that he will continue to advise Twitter on product strategy, as well as help in the search for his replacement.

News of Sippey's departure comes just a day after a report suggested that Twitter was looking to sell products and take payments directly through tweets.

Twitter declined to provide additional comment beyond Rowghani's Twitter response to Sippey, embedded below.

Update, 2:14 p.m. PT: With tweet and no comment from Twitter.