Simon Briggs, group managing director at the creative services and post-production house Prime Focus UK, has left the business.

His departure follows a July statement in which the company board said: “Trading over the first quarter of the current financial year (April to June) in each of the two key divisions of commercials and broadcast is below expectations and below the corresponding period last year.”

Commenting further, the board said: “The summer is a quiet trading period for the company, but the continuing effect of recession coupled with a downturn in TV advertising linked to the forthcoming Olympics has triggered a marked downturn in expected activity levels across the post production industry.  Additionally, the effects of downward pressure on production company budgets are having a material impact on activity levels and margins. Under these circumstances, the company is planning an extensive operational restructuring; the aim being to reduce running costs, minimise cash burn and to insulate against emerging negative industry trends that are forcing declines in activity levels across the market.”

Following Briggs” departure, Prime Focus is expected to commence this restructuring, with redundancies likely.