EXCLUSIVE: News Limited's marketing director, paid content Anthony Hearne has resigned from his post after two years in the role, as the media giant continues to restructure.
Hearne left the company on Friday and is seeking a change of career direction with a role in Singapore or the wider Asia-Pacific region.
It is unknown whether Hearne will be replaced directly, or whether the role will be restructured.
Hearne's depature follows that of other executives at the embattled media company, including News Australia Sales' chief commerical officer Tony Prentice last Monday, as revealed by AdNews.
Alongside Prentice, three News Queensland executives have also departed: general manager of Queensland community newspaper group Quest Newspapers Mark Elgood, The Gold Coast Bulletin's managing director Sylvia Bradshaw, and The Geelong Advertiser's general manager Wayne Buttner.
A number of communications executives have also departed, including the soon-to-be-defunct News Digital Media's head of corporate affairs Toby Hemming.
News Limited has not yet revealed how many jobs will be lost as its 19 current divisions are rolled into only five, but some reports place numbers as high as 1,500.
More than 100 jobs have already been lost, with heads beginning to roll the morning after Williams' televised announcement. As one News Limited source told AdNews: “The blood-letting at News Limited has started this morning and quite ferociously.”
The company-wide restructure will involve the troubled publisher's 19 eastern seaboard-based divisions being streamlined into just five: News NSW, News QLD, News Victoria, The Australian and magazine arm NewsLifeMedia.
NewsLifeMedia has also seen a round of hirings and firings under new chief executive Nicole Sheffield. Among the departures were Vogue editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements, lifestyle group publisher Mark Kelly and Inside Out editor Richard Waller.
Meanwhile, commercial director Zara Curtis resigned last month, as revealed by AdNews, and begins a new role with TV production company FremantleMedia later this month.
News Limited's main competitor, Fairfax Media, is also undergoing a mass restructure, announcing last month 1,900 jobs will be lost across editorial and other departments over the next three years as the company restructures.
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