Further senior figures from beleaguered tourism organisation Marketing Edinburgh are to leave, including its director of marketing, The Drum has learned.
It is understood that director of marketing and communications Alan Gibson has resigned to take up a senior marketing position within the National Galleries of Scotland.
Meanwhile, regional brand manager for City of Edinburgh Council Ailsa Falconer and Sharon Duffy, personal assistant to the CEO, have also left in what is believed to be a cost cutting exercise.
The organisation is currently in the middle of a reorganisation following the resignation of its CEO Lucy Bird late last year, which has left it reeling ever since.
Bird resigned following the 'Incrediburgh' marketing campaign debacle which saw the slogan panned by councillor Steve Cardownie, who walked out of a meeting with Bird when the campaign went ahead against his will, only without the slogan.
Gibson was understood to be involved in overseeing the recruitment of Bird's successor who was expected to be named by the end of March, although the organisation has denied that he was involved in the process or that the appointment would be made so soon.
A spokesperson for Marketing Edinburgh said: “As planned, Marketing Edinburgh is currently undergoing a period of re-structure in order to ensure that the company is as effective and cost-efficient as possible. This has resulted in some staff turnover which has taken place naturally but our focus now is to make certain that we have the right team in place to produce outstanding results for the city and we expect this process to be complete in a matter of weeks.
"Marketing Edinburgh is entering a fresh, new chapter and we look forward to working with our partners to promote Edinburgh in a number of exciting ways, both home and abroad, in 2013.
“We wish Alan all the best. The National Galleries are a partner of Marketing Edinburgh and so we look forward to working with him in the future.”
Creative director of The Leith Agency Gerry Farrell was also suspended from his role brieflyas a result of remarks made about Cardownie while protecting the campaign he had overseen.
Last month, an interim management board was formed to help steer Marketing Edinburgh, chaired by Edinburgh Airport’s director of communications Gordon Robertson, who was to work will work alongside Sue Stuart, director of operation during the hunt for a new CEO.