Just weeks after the Wall Street Journal published a glowing interview about her work style and ability to successfully juggle the demands of a family and the stress of leading the United States division of QVC, Claire Watts resigned.

QVC, the global leader in video and ecommerce retail, announced Wednesday that Claire Watts had resigned as Chief Executive Officer of QVC’s U.S. operations, effective Friday, September 5.

No reason was given for Watts’ departure other than the standard Watts’ desire to “pursue other opportunities.”

The Philadelphia business Journal reports Watts had been at QVC since 1998.

According to Mike George, President and Chief Executive Officer of QVC, Watts “played an instrumental role in QVC’s evolution to a leading multichannel retailer since joining the company in 2008.”

“Under her leadership, we’ve deepened our customer relationships and significantly expanded our ecommerce, mobile, and social platforms. I want to thank Claire for her many contributions to QVC, including helping to build an experienced, dedicated U.S. leadership team and a stronger, more agile U.S. business. Everyone at QVC wishes her the best in her future endeavors.”

For her part, Watts added this perspective:

“While the decision to move on from QVC was not an easy one, I am proud of what the U.S. team has accomplished over the past six years,” said Watts. “As I look forward to taking on new challenges, I know QVC has a strong and seasoned team in place to build upon the momentum that we have achieved in the U.S. business.”

Watts’ departure leaves a leadership void at the top of QVC’s most productive division.  Until management finds a candidate to fill its leadership void, QVC US senior U.S. leadership team, including Doug Howe, EVP Merchandising & Planning, Mary Campbell, EVP Commerce Platforms, and Rob Muller, SVP U.S. Strategic Planning & Analytics, all reporting to Mike George, will fill in on an interim basis.

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Top image courtesy of the Wall Street Journal