Virgin Media's head of strategy is the latest executive to leave the group amid a wider restructuring. Ernie Cormier, its managing director of strategy, would leave in the new year. Steve Stewart, the group's head of customer care, will leave at about the same time.

The future of Jacques Kerrest, the group's finance head, also looks uncertain. His contract expired one year ago and industry insiders indicated that his tenure might end soon. The group said that contract negotiations with Kerrest were continuing.

The company insisted Cormier's move had been at his own instigation. Neil Berkett, the group's acting head, told staff yesterday that Cormier had taken the decision “some time ago” and had decided to return to the United States. The departures come as Berkett, a 51-year-old New Zealander with a background in financial services, seeks to stamp his mark on the business and prove that he can ensure that the cable giant fufills its potential.

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