News UK PR chief Guto Harri is to leave the Sun, Times and Sunday Times publisher after three years.
Harri, who holds the title director of corporate and public affairs, will step down at the end of the year.
In an email to staff he said he was proud to have helped counter “appalling coverage of the company” in relation to fallout from phone hacking, and “rebuild our reputation, mend political bridges and hopefully help to restore a sense of composure and confidence after difficult times”.
Harri, a former BBC political correspondent who worked as London mayor Boris Johnson’s director of external affairs for four years before moving to News UK in 2012, described his mission on arrival as to “combat hysteria”.
He said his “job was now done” with the company now able to solely focus on its newspaper portfolio under Rebekah Brooks, who returned as chief executive in September a year after she was cleared of all charges related to the phone-hacking scandal.
“The focus of this company going forward will rightly be on our papers,” said Harri. “Corporate functions are crucial but they are ultimately there to fund, support and promote that frontline. With Rebekah’s charismatic and committed leadership I have no doubt that future will be bright, and I will remain a friend and fan of this company and what it does.”
Harri’s departure follows the exit in May of head of external communications Richard Brookes, who had also worked in the Mayor of London’s office as a senior press officer for a decade.
News UK has not announced a replacement but its most senior PR is Helen Collier, head of communications at the publisher, who joined in 2014 and reported in to Harri.
