Groupon Inc (GRPN) Mobile Chief David Katz Resigns [REPORT]

Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) is restructuring its business model and has been introducing different products and services to expand its business beyond daily deals to become a central hub for local and mobile e-commerce.

Groupon Inc’s loss of executives

Amid its restructuring efforts, Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) lost one of its key executives. David Katz, vice president and general manager of consumer mobile, resigned from his position effective the end of August. He will join Fanatics, a sports apparel e-commerce site, as SVP and GM.

Ingrid Lunden of TechCrunch learned about the Katz resignation from Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) through an e-mail sent to his colleagues and friends. The daily deals company confirmed his departure and the company has started seeking a replacement.

In his letter, Katz explained that he is moving to Fanatics because he will have the opportunity to work in sports, where the company has a strong team capable of building a great business, and he will be able to build a brand new team and mobile product from scratch.

“In my new role, I’m going to be setting up a new dev center in the Bay Area to build and market mobile apps and sites.  I’m going to be building a new team – which is part of the appeal – so if you know great mobile developers, PMs, designers or marketers who love sports and m-commerce please send them my way,” wrote Katz.

A spokesperson for Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) said, “David is leaving Groupon at the end of the month to take another position. We’ve begun a search for a new leader of our Consumer Mobile Division. Groupon has very deep and talented mobile team that will continue to report to our Senior Vice President of Product Development, Jeff Holden, and we’re excited about the future for one of the fastest-growing Mobile operations in the industry.”

Katz career history

Katz joined Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) in 2011. Before leading the mobile unit of the company, he served as VP and GM of retail solutions. He also served as VP of mobile at Yahoo! Inc (NASDAQ:YHOO) prior to his career at the daily deals company.

Lunden spoke with Katz several times regarding Groupon’s launching of mobile devices, and she noticed that he was generally focused on the business. According to Lunden, Katz is one of the key people in the company who ensure that the initiatives of Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) will expand outside North America.

Earlier this month, Groupon Inc (NASDAQ:GRPN) launched “Groupon Reserve” to offer premium deals from top brands, entertainment & travel, restaurants, hotels, salons and spas. The company said the product is a significant step for it to become a leading marketplace for online deals.