One of Snap’s top ad execs is leaving right before the IPO

Sriram Krishnan, one of Snap’s top ad executives, has left the company less than a month before Snap’s expected IPO.

Krishnan joined Snap from Facebook a year ago to help the company build out its ad tech offerings, including its API, which lets marketers buy ads via algorithms instead of through a salesperson. He reported directly to Snap’s Chief Strategy Officer Imran Khan.

A Snap spokesperson confirmed Krishnan’s departure but declined to comment further.

The timing here isn’t great for Snap, which is expected to trade on the New York Stock Exchange beginning March 2. Snap has told investors it could be a $1 billion company in 2017, and automated ad sales were supposed to help it hit that number. Now it has lost one of the top execs working on those products.

It’s unclear what Krishnan will do next. Before joining Snap, he helped build Facebook’s ad network, Audience Network, which helps Facebook sell ads inside apps it doesn’t own. Krishnan lives in San Francisco, and had been commuting to Snap’s Venice Beach office each week.

Update: Krishnan tweeted Sunday, saying he was looking forward to less travel and more time with his wife.

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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