THQ Publishing Exec Guthrie Resigns

Publisher THQ said Scott Guthrie, executive VP of publishing, has left the company to pursue an undisclosed new opportunity. The resignation is effective immediately. Guthrie had been with THQ since January 2006, and oversaw North American sales and distribution for the publisher, as well as marketing. "THQ has a deep and experienced global sales and marketing team and we continue to execute on our focused product strategy," CEO Brian Farrell said in a statement. "We wish Scott well in his future endeavors." THQ VP of investor relation Julie MacMedan told Gamasutra in an email that the company is "still evaluating our plans" regarding a replacement for Guthrie. Guthrie's resignation comes during a turning point at THQ, which has faced financial difficulties in recent months that led to a 24 percent workforce cut, or 600 employees. THQ has said it would adjust its strategy to focus on fewer, higher profile games instead of spreading its resources across a higher number of titles. Prior to THQ, Guthrie was SVP of sales and distribution at The Walt Disney Company. Before that, he was an account manager at Pepsi Bottling Group and Colgate Palmolive.