Two senior Europe-based partners in U.S. private equity firm Cerberus, majority owner of carmaker Chrysler, have left the company, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing a person familiar with the company.

Ken Leet, a former strategic adviser to Ford Motor Co, left after two and a half years with Cerberus, the person told the paper.

Jeff Lubin, who joined the private-equity firm in 2005 to establish the European arm, also left, the paper said.

The departures came as Cerberus cut a third of its staff in the United Kingdom in the first quarter of the year, the Journal said, citing financial accounts filed at Companies House in May.

The documents said that head count at Cerberus UK Management Ltd fell to 15 from 23, the paper said.

The person told the paper that the European cuts, which included Leet and Lubin, came after Cerberus decided in January to cut about a tenth of its global staff.

A Cerberus spokesman declined to comment to the paper on the departures, while the WSJ was also unable to reach Leet and Lubin for comment.

Reuters could not immediately reach Cerberus for comment, outside of regular hours.

(Reporting by Esha Dey in Bangalore; editing by Simon Jessop)

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