Gerrit Meier has left Spotify after joining in October 2011 to become its General Manager, Distribution & Partnerships, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday. The news was first reported at All Things D.

Spotify Planning Launches in Italy, Poland and (Reportedly) Japan: What Are the Challenges?Meier is leaving to start “a new venture idea” that will be “a European-focused endeavor,” according to All Things D. Meier is the second Spotify executive to depart the company recently. Teymour Farman-Farmaian was Spotify’s chief monetization officer until this month, according to his LinkedIn profile. He is now founder and CEO of discounts and referral service Localini.

But Spotify is still on a hiring spree. Last week Spotify announced the hiring of former PRS For Music chief economist Will Page at its London office. The company has also posted job openings recently for managers to launch the services in Italy and Poland. [Billboard.biz]