Exclusive: Google+ Head Vic Gundotra Leaving Company

David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Page praised Gundotra, whose departure is immediate.

'Vic cut his teeth on our mobile apps and developer relations, turning Google's disparate efforts into something great ... And, walking onto the stage at I/O last year, it was amazing to see developers so excited about Google,' Page posted on Google+. 'These were vintage Vic projects. Then Vic built Google+ from nothing. There are few people with the courage and ability to start something like that and I am very grateful for all his hard work and passion.'

Page also noted that the search giant would continue to invest in Google+, although he gave no specifics. But, according to sources, he has picked a current Google+ exec - VP of engineering David Besbris - to replace Gundotra.

Read More Google agreed to pay some of Samsung's legal costs

A Google spokesperson would not confirm who was taking over Google+, but, notably, it's not Gundotra's top lieutenant, Google+ product head Bradley Horowitz. Sources did note that Horowitz - who has been at Google+ from the start - was a top candidate for the job.

Besbris has been at Google since 2008, after nearly a decade at AOL. He doesn't have a huge public presence online, but - according to Google+ - he apparently likes photographing flowers and watching music cover videos on YouTube, and is a fan of the San Francisco 49ers.

More from Re/code: Microsoft Q3 Earnings, Starring Satya Nadella Getting Featured on the App Store Works, Unless They Do This Security Startup Synack Lands $7.5 Million Series A Round

The departure of Gundotra will have wider repercussions on what's next for Google+ and also marks an interesting moment for leadership at the company.

Gundotra - one of the more vocal of Google execs and willing to take aim at rivals publicly, often in colorful speeches - had a long history at Google, which he joined in 2007 after 15 years at Microsoft. Prior to Google+, he led Google's mobile and developer relations teams, pushing a range of apps and other mobile initiatives, such as turn-by-turn directions, in the early days of the shift to mobile.