Twitter second-in-command leaving for finance startup SoFi

Twitter bade farewell Tuesday to its number two executive Anthony Noto, who is taking a job heading internet age finance company SoFi.

"I'm really sad to see @anthonynoto leave us, but I'm happy for him and really proud of everything he's accomplished at Twitter," Twitter chief executive jack Dorsey said in a tweet.

"He's been a friend, partner, and mentor to me for years."

Soto has been a key figure at Twitter, running operations while Dorsey divides his time between roles heading Twitter and online financial transactions startup Square.

SoFi on Tuesday announced that Noto will become its chief executive and join its board of directors on March 1.

"We are simply thrilled to have found someone of Anthony's expertise and knowledge to lead SoFi," interim SoFi chief Tom Hutton said in a release.

A former Goldman Sachs executive, Noto was hired at Twitter as chief financial officer in mid-2014, and became chief operating officer at the San Francisco-based company slightly less than two years later.

"I'm grateful to the SoFi board for this extraordinary opportunity to lead one of the most important new companies at the intersection of technology and finance," Noto said.

SoFi, founded as Social Finance Inc, is provides online services for mortgages, personal loans, and refinancing student debt.