Twitter struggles with more departures

Diversity chief set to leave, HR chief gone

SAN FRANCISCO Twitter’s diversity chief Jeffrey Siminoff is leaving the company after little more than a year.

Siminoff wrote about his departure in two tweets. “U can # LoveWhereYouWork & still know that a pause for future change & loved ones is right,” he wrote. Twitter declined to comment. Hiring a white man to lead its diversity efforts was a controversial pick for Twitter, which was under fire for the lack of underrepresented minorities and women on its staff.

In a separate development Tuesday, Twitter’s new human resources chief Renee Atwood left the company. Both departures were first reported by TechCrunch.

“Renee has left the company for personal reasons. We wish her all the best in the future,” Twitter said in a statement.

Atwood joined Twitter in August 2016 from Uber, where she was global head of people and places. Her departure is another in a long series of executive exits at Twitter, which reports its fourth- quarter financial results Thursday.

The service known for its 140character messages has struggled to broaden its mainstream appeal and bring in advertising dollars while the fortunes of established competitors such as Facebook have soared and newer entrants such as Snapchat and Facebookowned Instagram have quickly gained traction.

Twitter, like other major tech companies, has been frequently derided by civil rights activists and some former employees for its lack of progress on diversity.