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Facebook-owned Oculus has hired away big-time Google X executive Mary Lou Jepsen, according to sources familiar with the move.
Jepsen, who spent the last three years running the Display Division at Google X, is joining the virtual reality startup that Facebook acquired last March sometime this month.
A Facebook spokesperson confirmed the hire, but declined to comment on the specifics of Jepsen’s new role. The spokesperson did add, “We continue to seek out the best and brightest from around the world to help push VR to the next level.”
Jepsen specialized in digital displays at Google, including an advanced project centered on combining multiple independent screens into one fluid image, something that’s certainly in the same vein as virtual reality.
While at Google X, Jepsen also managed two “moonshot” programs, according to her LinkedIn page. She reported directly to Google co-founder Sergey Brin.
She’s also known for her role as co-founder and CTO of the nonprofit One Laptop Per Child, which aims to reduce the cost of laptops for children in Third World countries.
Facebook has been playing its virtual reality cards relatively close to the chest since the acquisition, but product czar Chris Cox said last month at the Code/Media conference that the company was indeed working on some virtual reality applications.
It’s unclear to whom Jepsen will report, although it won’t be Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a spokesperson said.
To get an idea of what kinds of projects Jepsen is interested in, you can watch a video of her 2013 TED Talk below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vNDhu2uqfdo
This article originally appeared on Recode.net.
