As the Twitter Turns: Comms Head Gabriel Stricker Out in 'Shift' in Strategy

Gabriel Stricker, Twitter’s longtime chief of communications, is leaving the company.

Unlike the recent departure of CEO Dick Costolo, the social communications company did not pretend this was not due to the awful image it has had in the press and with investors and the need to make changes in its PR strategy even ahead of a selection of a new CEO.

Stricker, of course, tweeted the departure and the company also confirmed it.

https://twitter.com/gabrielstricker/status/621734550914375680

“It continues to be essential that we show the world the value of Twitter. Communications is a key component of that, and to help build toward a stronger future, we are looking now to shift our communications strategy and direction,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “We will be bringing in new leadership, and we thank Gabriel for his contributions.”

Ouch! Although, to be fair to Stricker, running communications at the famous goat rodeo of Twitter management is not a job that anyone would envy. But the fact of the matter — and there are many reasons here besides Stricker’s work — is that the company has struggled to get a cogent message out about itself and has seen a spate of generally negative press that has not stopped. Thus, someone had to go.

Twitter was unspecific about what that shift in comms strategy and direction would be, nor did it indicate when a new head would be selected. But the current team will report to general counsel Vijaya Gadde for the time being.

Before he started at Twitter in 2012, Stricker was a top comms exec at Google, where he worked for Marissa Mayer and others. He stayed in place amid a lot of leadership change at the company, including adding marketing to his portfolio at one point. He lost that earlier this year in yet another reorganization.

Currently, co-founder Jack Dorsey is the interim CEO, while the board searches for a new leader. Candidates include sales head Adam Bain, who may get the nod simply for being the nicest guy ever, a phrase that seems permanently attached to his name (also he does a good job with the ad-selling, despite all the mishegas at Twitter).

This article originally appeared on Recode.net.

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