Carter joined Emap in 1995 as group ad director before going on to hold the post of group ad director of Q, Mojo, Empire and FHM, head of men's and style markets at Emap Metro and the position of head of market at Emap Advertising.
Carter was appointed publishing director of FHM UK in 2001. He resigned six months ago and has worked out his six-month notice. He said: "My 10 years at Emap have been very rewarding for me."
The role of publishing director will be covered by David Pullan, FHM Worldwide managing director, while Carter takes a short break before pursuing opportunities elsewhere.
FHM will be considering internal and external candidates for the role.
His departure comes as the magazine plans to launch the FHM music television channel, which is due to roll out on Sky Digital in May as part of an operational revamp.
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