Archant London managing director Enzo Testa has left the company with immediate effect and been replaced by Bauer Media’s Will Hattam.
The company said Testa was leaving to ‘launch a new career outside Archant”.
Hattam has been MD of Bauer Media’s motorcycling division for the last four years, before which he spent nine years with Trinity Mirror, where he held a number of senior marketing roles including marketing director on its national papers.
Archant chief executive Adrian Jeakings said: ‘After much deliberation Enzo has decided now is the appropriate time for him to leave Archant London and launch a new career outside Archant.
‘He will be stepping down from his role immediately.
‘I would like to thank Enzo for his contribution to the London business since 2004, and for his many years of service to Archant, and to the regional press as a whole.
Enzo was one of the pioneers of free newspapers in the UK, and has left an indelible mark on the industry.
‘His successes include the launch of many new products including London24, developing new revenue streams, management of major restructuring programmes and, merging of departments and businesses which have resulted in considerable cost savings.
‘Enzo has an entrepreneurial spirit, and I have no doubt that he will succeed in his new ventures.
‘Will joins us at a time of economic uncertainty but the opportunities for local media in London are huge and I am sure you will join me in welcoming him to his new role.”
Last April the company carried out a restructure of its local newspaper divisions that resulted in two regional managing directors leaving the company: Stephan Phillips, managing director of Archant Norfolk, and Stuart McCreery, managing director of Archant Suffolk, Herts & Cambs.
At the same time the group’s London newspaper and magazine businesses were combined into a single Archant London division headed by Testa.
In 2009 he oversaw closure of half of Archant’s London offices and the relocation of nine of its newspapers.
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