MUMBAI: Kim Williams has resigned as chief executive of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp Australia, just 20 months after he took on the top post.

He will be succeeded by Julian Clarke, who has a strong publishing background and was most recently chairman of The Herald and Weekly Times.

Murdoch said in a statement that he was thankful for Williams' services to News Corp, as well as his loyalty and friendship to the company.

"Kim has been a steady and courageous leader at a time when our businesses have faced unprecedented pressure and economic challenges," he said. "I want to thank him for his unwavering commitment, and the blood, sweat and tears he has put into News Corp Australia."

Williams was appointed chief executive in December 2011, after 10 years as chief executive of Australia's dominant pay TV operator Foxtel, which is half owned by News Corp Australia.

News Corp chief executive of, Robert Thomson, said Williams, a 20-year veteran at News Corp, felt that "now is the right moment to leave the company".

"Kim leaves a remarkable, sustaining legacy at these companies and on modern media in Australia," Thomson said.

Rupert Murdoch's News Corp recently broke up into two parts - a publishing firm and a film and television unit. The entertainment firm is called 21st Century Fox while the publishing company retained the name News Corp.

The split was expected to increase scrutiny on the newspapers under the publishing business, as the media industry battles a decline in print advertising and the rise of internet readership.