The lines of succession are becoming a bit clearer at News Corp., with the company naming 15-year company veteran James Murdoch - the son of founder, chairman and CEO Rupert Murdoch - deputy chief operating officer and chairman and CEO, International on Wednesday.
In the newly created role, James Murdoch will continue to report to deputy chairman, president and chief operating officer Chase Carey. He will relocate from News Corp.'s United Kingdom headquarters to New York.
"James has demonstrated in an array of roles that he is a shrewd and decisive operator who can deftly navigate complex issues to transform businesses," Carey said in a statement. "He has equally shown a unique understanding of the emerging technologies and the digital forces that are reshaping our industry. As we become increasingly global and consumer focused, we believe there are real opportunities to add new dimensions to our core businesses. We are confident that James' deep knowledge of international markets, his proven leadership, and his passionate focus on building consumer relationships make him the ideal person to help us realize these opportunities across all our companies."
James Murdoch has long been thought to be the handpicked successor to his father. He joined News Corp. in 1996 as executive vice president, became CEO of its Asian TV operation STAR in 2000 and turned that money-losing venture into a profitable one. In 2003 he took the helm of British Sky Broadcasting, doubling the size of the U.K. satellite TV giant in four years. Since 2007 James Murdoch has served as chairman and chief executive Europe and Asia and executive chairman of News International,where he was responsible for the strategic and operational development of the company's television, newspaper and related digital assets in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
