Airbnb's head of global operations has left the company
Rao joined the home-sharing site in 2013 when it was valued at just $2.7 billion and has been leading its global push. Today, Airbnb is valued at $30 billion and its services are available in 191 countries around the globe.
Airbnb confirmed her departure and said she will remain an important advisor to the company.
"Varsha has worked tirelessly on our international growth efforts. We are grateful for all she has done for Airbnb and are pleased that she will continue advising the company," an Airbnb spokesperson told Business Insider.
Rao did not respond to request for comment from Business Insider.
Her next move is also unknown, but the experienced entrepreneur has both started companies and scaled startups through hypergrowth. Rao's entrepreneurial journey started in the dot-com boom when she co-founded Eve and was co-CEO of the e-commerce beauty startup. She then had roles at Gap and was CEO of Singel, a Singapore digital media company. She then served as a Senior Vice President for LivingSocial and led their international business across Asia, Europe and Latin America.
It was that experience that drew her to Airbnb, which is focused on building a global travel business. In her three years at the hyper-growth startup, Rao traveled the globe to grow Airbnb's international travel market with a special focus in China and India.