Zynga CCO Mike Verdu has announced he is leaving the social gaming giant to form his own start up.

Claiming it is time to "try something new", Verdu's departure follows hot on the heels of the resignation of COO John Schappert - though Verdu himself claims his decision is down to an entrepreneurial itch, rather than any sense of job dissatisfaction.

Mighty oaks

"Being at Zynga in the early days reminded me of how much I love being an entrepreneur," said Verdu.

"After a lot of soul-searching, I have decided to go back to my roots and start a new company."

Verdu said he'd seen Zynga grow from a "small, scrappy start up" to a "world class organisation" with a "deep well of amazing talent".

 

"It's tough to leave people I admire and respect – and something that I have helped to build. I thank Mark [Pincus] for his leadership, friendship, and unwavering support."

BFFs

That unwavering support looks set to continue, with Zynga's CEO revealing his company is to invest in Verdu's new venture.

"Mike has been a good friend to me personally as well as professionally, and has been an influential creative leader to us all," said Pincus in a statement.

"I'm proud of the legacy that Mike has helped build and the deep bench of creative talent and leaders who will carry the torch and shape the next wave of creativity at Zynga."

"Zynga will be on the ground floor with Mike on his next venture as an investor in his new start up. We are excited for Mike in this next chapter in his distinguished career and we are grateful for his contributions to Zynga."

[source: Zynga]