News Corp has revealed that Mike Darcey, COO at BSkyB, is to become the next chief executive of News International, following the news that Tom Mockridge is leaving at the end of the year.

Mockridge, who was parachuted in from Sky Italia to take over from the management tainted by hacking,  resigned unexpectedly as chief executive of the UK newspaper arm after being passed over for the chief executive position at the publishing company that News Corp is expected to spin off next year.

Darcey, a New Zealander, was appointed chief operating officer of Sky in November 2006 and is in charge of product development across all platforms at the satellite broadcaster including TV and online advertising sales.

Today Mockridge said he was leaving because “the new structure does not offer me a role I am comfortable with and, after 22 years with the company in five countries, I feel I have made enough of a contribution to make a personal choice to go.”

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