First of the 'Birt Brigade' quits BBC

Colin Browne, a senior BBC manager, announced his resignation yesterday. The move, say BBC insiders, is the first tremor to be felt of the massive management restructuring that Greg Dyke will announce on Monday and which is expected to lead to the loss of hundreds of jobs.

Mr Browne, the director of corporate affairs, said he hadbeen planning to leave for some time, but acknowledged that "it coincides neatly with the review". He leaves his £200,000 job to take up a post "with a small chunk of equity" at Maitland, a financial consultancy.

His departure carries extra significance because he had one of the highest-paid management jobs at the BBC's corporate centre. However, a BBC executive said yesterday: "People think Greg's review will target the corporate centre in particular, but that will not necessarily be the case. Duplication will be taken out of the system at all management levels, throughout the BBC."

The review is expected to divide into two the corporate affairs department. One part will become marketing and communications and is expected to be led by Matthew Bannister, the chief executive of BBC production. The other part is expected to maintain more of a strategy function and be merged with the policy and planning department headed by Patricia Hodgson.

The full announcement will be made to BBC staff at 10am on Monday, with top managers attending a briefing by Mr Dyke, while others watch it on the internal TV system. Mr Dyke has already made clear he is putting together a flatter organisational structure.