Another top exec change at CNET Networks as the ripple effects from Shelby Bonnie’s departure continue ... Barry Briggs, president and COO, is leaving the company Jan. 12, “to pursue personal and other business interests.” No plans to fill the post at this time.  Bonnie resigned as chairman and CEO Oct. 11 following disclosure of problems with the way stock options were handled. He was succeeded at the CEO level by Neil Ashe, who had been with the company since 2002 and leapfrogged over Briggs, one sign that the latter might not stay for long. Briggs was president of ZDNet when it was acquired by CNET in 2000. Release.
We’re told the official announcement was postponed because of the tragic loss of James Kim.
Rafat adds: We were able to confirm a Valleywag report on this over the weekend and the general consensus is that this is an amicable parting. Briggs had been at the company for the company for a long time, and with the old guard going out of the company, this was a good time for him to move on. Also, Ashe is the young blood at the company, and is planning to bring in some new senior execs over the next few months, in hopes of reinventing CNET. In some senses, CNET has the same problems that Yahoo has, though on a relatively smaller scale: the needs for fresh pair of eyes, sprawling portfolio, encroachments by upstarts, etc.
Related: CNET CEO Shelby Bonnie Resigns After Options Investigation
— CNET: More On Bonnie’s Resignation, Options Query