Ex-Microsoft exec Qi Lu steps down from Baidu post

On Friday, Baidu announced that its chief operating officer Dr Qi Lu will be stepping down this July, after a tenure of about a year and a half. Dr Lu said that he can no longer work full-time in China for "personal and family reasons" and will spend more time in the US. Upon stepping down as COO, he will retain his position as VP of Baidu's board, and will still be involved with research and development.Lu joined Baidu in January 2017, and reported directly to CEO Robin Li, in charge of products, technology, sales, marketing and operations. Prior to joining Baidu, Dr. Lu served as Microsoft’s global executive vice president and led one of Microsoft’s Office business unit."We have seen many positive changes at Baidu since Qi joined last year. I'm especially impressed by Qi's integrity, dedication to work and sharp insights into technologies and businesses," CEO Robin Li said in a statement."I'm honored to have participated in Baidu's transition into an AI-first company," Lu said.