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September 5, 2011

Ellis Watson named DC Thomson newspaper chief

By Andrew Pugh

Regional newspaper publisher DC Thomson has hired the former managing director of Trinity Mirror‘s national newspapers Ellis Watson to head up its newspaper operations.

Watson joins from Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment where he was made chief executive officer in March 2010.

The news comes three days after Alan Scott, the managing director of DC Thomson’s Aberdeen Journals group, announced he was leaving the company after 27 years.

Scott was also joint managing director of DC Thomson’s newspaper operations alongside David Thomson, but the company today announced Watson has been made sole managing director with immediate effect and that Thomson has been named chief operating officer.

The company said Watson will be responsible for ‘newspaper operations to create an efficient business model to build on the strength of the newspaper brands and products”, which include The Press & Journal, The Evening Express, The Courier & Advertiser, The Evening Telegraph, The Sunday Post, and The Weekly News.

Watson started his career as marketing director at News International, where he worked on The Sun and the News of the World. In 1999 he became head of News International digital business.

From 2000 to 2003 he was the managing director of entertainment company Celador, and in 2004 moved to Trinity Mirror. Since then he has held senior board positions with John Menzie, First Group and Syco Entertainment.

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DC Thomson chairman Andrew Thomson said: ‘Ellis brings with him a wealth of industry experience and local knowledge.

‘He lives with his wife and family in the area and will be based at both our Dundee and Aberdeen offices.

‘I welcome Ellis to the newspaper senior management team as he gets to know our people and our business and look forward to working with him.”

Ellis added: ‘I’m delighted to be back home, running these fantastic titles and working with such talented people.’

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