BusinessWeek‘s editor-in-chief Stephen J. Adler gave his formal resignation today—telling staffers that he’ll leave the post upon completion of the sale to Bloomberg, BW reports. The deal is expected to close in early December. Adler spent more than four years in the top spot; during his tenure, he oversaw the integration of BusinessWeek‘s print and online operations, among other digital initiatives. He joined BusinessWeek from The WSJ, where he’d served as a deputy managing editor.

Though Daniel L. Doctoroff, Bloomberg’s president, maintained that the company’s acquisition plan wasn’t to “gut” BusinessWeek—but to build it—Adler’s resignation means that he won’t be the face of future staff layoffs, if they come. It also means that he won’t have to report to Bloomberg’s chief content officer Norman Pearlstine, a colleague from the Journal days. BusinessWeek has the full text of Adler’s memo to staff.

• Interview: Bloomberg’s Pearlstine: Buying BusinessWeek Matches Need—And Desire
• BusinessWeek’s Sale To Bloomberg: A History In Links