BuzzFeed European general manager Kate Burns has surprised the international media industry with her decision to leave the digital publisher after only a year.

Former Google, Daily Motion, Bebo and AOL boss Burns joined BuzzFeed in March 2015, and is understood to have overseen a doubling of regional revenues over the past 12 months – with a similar increase anticipated in 2016.

Despite this success, Burns has opted to leave the firm. It is not known what she plans to do next.

BuzzFeed confirmed it has kicked off a search for a replacement to lead business in Europe, though it says the process “may take some time”.

A BuzzFeed spokesman said: “Over the last year, Kate has been an integral part of stabilising and growing our business in the UK and Europe. We are grateful for the leadership role she has played and wish her the very best in the future.”

Burns told Business Insider: “The European business is doing exceptionally well thanks to the incredible job my team have done in the last year. I know they will go from strength to strength. I am very sad to leave, and I wish them all the best, and I will miss them very much.”

Burns first become Google UK managing director back in 2001, and was promoted to regional director for UK, Ireland and Benelux in 2006. In 2008, she began a two-year stint as UK managing director at Daily Motion, and subsequently held leadership roles at AOL, Drawbridge and SHIFT.

Earlier this year, Burns told M&M Global that BuzzFeed was seeing a shift in branded content creation: “The top thing brands and marketers need to keep in mind is that mobile is social.

“If something isn’t working on mobile, it’s simply not going to share as well. In 2016, it will come down to three major things: more video, more mobile and more global than ever before.”