NY Google Vet Hirsch Leaving For Startups

David Hirsch, an eight-year Google sales vet who helped open the company's New York office, is leaving the company at the end of January. The 36-year-old is looking, he tells us, to invest in and advise Web startups, with a focus on "helping incubate and accelerate the early stage game."

David came to Google, along with sales chief Tim Armstrong (SAI 100 #6), from Snowball.com in 2000, and has had a dizzying run since then: He's best known for founding and running the company's B2B "vertical markets" group, and for helping start the company's efforts to sell offline ads to magazine and newspapers. He's already got a taste for startups: He's a member of New York Angels and has invested in and advised music startup Amie Street, helping that company secure a funding round from Amazon (AMZN).

We've heard plenty of stories about Googlers leaving to try their own thing. But most of them, for obvious reasons, have focused on the Mountain View campus. The only other high profile Googler to leave the NY office that we know about is Jason Liebman, who says he'll unveil his Howcast site someday soon. But there have to be more who've left or are itching to do so. Anyone want to offer up some candidates? Drop us a line at tips or comment below.