The chief executive of Telstra’s Chinese operations has quit after less than two years at the post, citing personal reasons.

The departure has been seen by some as a blow to Telstra’s attempts to expand into the massive Asian market, seeking to revive itself from falling domestic fixed-line profits.

A spokesperson for Telstra says Ms Chen Xiaowei left the CEO role in April and has not been replaced. It is unclear why a permanent replacement has not been found in the months since Chen Xiaowei’s resignation.

Ms Chen was appointed in May 2011 after a successful run as a McKinsey & Co consultant and TV presenter for China Central Television. Chen was responsible for Telstra’s assets in China and tasked with growing the telco’s business organically and through acquisitions.

Telstra runs several websites of varying popularity in China; most prominent is Autohome.com.cn, which is a leading site for car owners looking for products and services.

The company seems to be making every effort to have an impact on the Chinese market; earlier this month appointing Singapore-Chinese executive Chin Hu Lim to the board as a director to drive growth.