Silver

Google says Scott Silver will be the new site director for its Kirkland outpost, replacing Peter Wilson, who said last week that he's leaving to launch his own startup.

Silver joined the company from Amazon.com a few years ago. He has been working most recently on Google's advertising optimization and analysis products. He was named a Google engineering director last year.

Here's how Silver describes himself on his LinkedIn profile.

I like building high-transaction systems that delight customers and make money. I care about the technical details - I think systems should be beautiful on the outside and inside. I care about good products: from business models, to user interface design, to execution. ... I've worked at startups like i-drive.com and big companies like Google, Amazon and Netscape. ... I like interviewing folks. It's hard to assess talent. ... I like to ship. A lot.

Wilson had worked previously at Microsoft, so it's notable that Google has tapped a veteran of the region's other tech giant as the new Kirkland director. Brian Bershad, a former University of Washington professor, is the company's Seattle site director.

"Peter is a terrific guy who has done a terrific job, but nobody is indispensable, and I don't think this adversely affects Google locally," wrote Ed Lazowska, a UW computer science professor, when we asked via email for his reaction to Wilson's departure, before we found out about Silver's appointment. Lazowska noted that the Kirkland office made it smoothly through a previous leadership transition.

"There are hundreds of superb engineers over there, and dozens of great projects, and plenty of leadership-in-training," Lazowska continued. "And there's a whole 'nother office in Seattle. The positive is that it contributes a seasoned veteran to the local startup scene -- Peter spent a number of years at Microsoft before Google, so is really well connected and experienced. The great news is the diversity of the information technology businesses that have grown up around here, largely as a result of Microsoft making Seattle its home."