The chief commercial officer of The Standard has announced he is leaving the business after the publication of its second weekly print edition.
James White has worked for the Evening Standard and its parent company ESI Media for 19 years but has decided to step down.
He will remain with the business until the end of November to continue helping to implement the new structure.
The Evening Standard last month stopped being a daily print newspaper and relaunched as the weekly The London Standard on 26 September. White’s announcement came one day after its second edition hit the streets of the capital with musician Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish, as its cover star.
White said: “While I will miss the business, and more importantly the people within in it, I am incredibly proud of the continuous commercial innovation we have delivered. This was achieved with a brilliant and dedicated team who were able to ensure the Standard remained relevant and essential throughout rapid market change.
“As we approach our 200-year anniversary with an exciting new print and digital portfolio, The Standard is now well placed to thrive.”
White was credited with helping to lead the Evening Standard’s move to being a free newspaper in 2009, its digital transformation and journey through the Covid-19 pandemic.
For ESI Media, the publisher said he was key to The Independent’s transition to being a digital-only publisher in 2015 and helping secure the £25m sale of the i newspaper to Johnston Press.
Standard executive chairman Albert Read said: “While we will be sad to see James leave, I would like to thank him for his endless energy, passion and the commercial leadership he has shown across the last two decades.”
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