The BBC has confirmed that Chief Operating Officer Caroline Thomson will be leaving the broadcaster at the end of September. The move follows Director-General George Entwistle’s announcement that he is closing the post of Chief Operating Officer as part of the restructuring of his senior team.

In her current role, Thomson has successfully delivered BBC’s major infrastructure projects: digital switch-over, the move of more than 3,000 staff to Salford, and the development of the BBC’s two main sites in central and west London. She was also integral to the successful negotiation of two licence-fee settlements in 2007 and 2010.

Thomson began her long and distinguished career at BBC as a journalism trainee in 1975, going on to produce a range of BBC radio and television series, including BBC Radio 4’s Analysis and BBC One’s Panorama. She left the BBC in 1984 and joined Channel 4. She returned to BBC in 1996 as Deputy Director of the BBC World Service before becoming BBC’s Chief Operating Officer in 2006.

Thomson said: “It has been an immense privilege to be part of the leadership of the BBC – the world’s best public service broadcaster. Wonderful programmes, brilliant colleagues and a real sense of public purpose, what more could you ask? I wish George and his colleagues the best of luck as they take the BBC forward – I know it will be safe in their hands.”