Three senior executives will leave regional publisher Newsquest under the company’s latest management shake-up.
The changes come as members of the National Union of Journalists at Newsquest in Sutton, South London vote unanimously for a 12-day strike over redundancies, staffing levels and pay.
The company plans to merge its South East London and South West London editorial departments in a move the NUJ said would replace the posts of group editor, editor, deputy editor, assistant editor and news editor with one group deputy managing editor, amongst other cuts.
North London managing director Vic Catanach will depart after 13 years at the company, to be replaced by Mike Harper as North London and Essex managing director.
Catanach oversaw a recent restructure to Newsquest titles in North London, Essex, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire in which placed 18 weekly newspapers under one editor.
Also leaving the company are regional managing director for Wales, Gloucestershire and the South Midlands Gavin Steacy and Exchange and Mart managing director Frank McCaffrey.
Steacy, who joined Newsquest in January 2006 after working for four years as Trinity Mirror Southern regional managing director, will have his role split between new Wales and Gloucestershire managing director Julia Lancett and Trevor Sallis, whose Midlands South managing director responsibilities now include Herefordshire.
Ewan Stark, managing director for Scottish-based online recruitment website S1, replaces McCaffrey at Exchange and Mart.
“I would like to thank Vic, Frank and Gavin for their contribution to the direction and management of their respective businesses and they leave us with our best wishes for their future endeavours,” said chief executive Henry Faure Walker in a staff memo seen by HoldtheFrontPage.
“I am sure you will join me in wishing Julia, Trevor, Ewan and Mike every success with their new remits and responsibilities.”
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