James Murdoch's right-hand man to leave News Corp post It has been reported that James Murdoch planned to take Anderson with him to New York, when he relocates to News Corp's global headquarters. James Murdoch's right-hand man in London, Matthew Anderson, is stepping down from his News Corporation post. News Corp announced on Friday that Anderson, the company's director of strategy and corporate affairs in Europe and Asia, will leave his post on 31 March. However, he is not severing ties with News Corp entirely - he will continue to be a senior adviser to the company "focusing on select international initiatives and relevant directorships." The statement said Anderson will return to San Francisco with his family "and pursue new opportunities." Although Anderson remains close to Murdoch, internal corporate tensions meant that it was not certain he would follow his boss as he relocated to News Corp's New York headquarters. Some senior US News Corp executives were concerned that Murdoch had built up a "parallel court" in London - and did not want him to transplant that on the other side of the Atlantic. Murdoch, News Corp deputy chief operating officer, said: "Matthew has played a key role in many of our most important projects for more than 10 years. He has ranged across varied and wide terrain, and has been a versatile, resourceful and highly insightful colleague. The whole team will miss him greatly. Upon his long-planned return to California with his family we wish him the very best and look forward to the next chapter. Anderson has been one of Murdoch's closest advisers and first forged a relationship with him when Murdoch was in charge of Star TV, News Corp's Asian pay-TV business, and he ran Ogilvy PR Asia in Hong Kong, back in 2000. Murdoch then took him to BSkyB in London in 2005 and again to Wapping after he was put in charge of News Corp Europe and Asia, with responsibilities including the News International newspapers. It has been reported that Murdoch planned to take Anderson with him to New York, when he relocates to News Corp's global headquarters. On Friday GlaxoSmithKline, the UK's largest drug company, announced that Murdoch was stepping down from its board, a move triggered by his move to New York.