Stripe snags top Google talent to run business operations

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Claire Johnson, whose long career at Google has included heading up its self-driving car efforts, has joined payment tech startup Stripe to head business operations there.

Payments technology provider Stripe Inc. has hired Claire Johnson, an ex-vice president of Google Inc. where she oversaw self-driving cars.

Stripe confirmed that Johnson is the company's new chief of business operations, considered one of the young company's most significant hires since it launched in 2010.

"It's exciting to be able to be part of the block and tackle of building a company from a smaller base," Johnson said in a statement to Re/code. "This company has a vision that is different and has huge potential."

Stripe CEO Patrick Collison told Re/code Tuesday that even though the company remains unprofitable, transactions through its online payments services grew eightfold in the past year, while the company secured key partnerships with the likes of Facebook Inc. and Twitter.

Stripe now has 175 employees, half of whom are engineers. The startup has raised $120 million from 14 investors, including Sequoia Capital and Elon Musk.

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