The chief financial officer, Werner Schmidt has been promoted to chief operating officer, circulation marketing manager Ian Dinan will become publisher of Getaway and Andrew Solomon will relinquish his role as head of digital publishing to take on the role of GM of the group's customer, B2B and sports titles.
Neil Piper, publisher of the Auto & Tech division, will concentrate exclusively on CAR and Leisure Wheels, while Alan Duggan, editor of Popular Mechanics, will also serve as that brand's publisher.
The moves come after extensive discussions at board and executive level on the most effective and agile way to operate in the changing media landscape, and have been implemented with immediate effect.
One thing that will not change, however, is the cornerstone of the company, chairman Alan Ramsay explained. "The fundamental principle of media is to make great content that attracts more readers, viewers and listeners and results in a great business with excellent rewards. That goes for all platforms.
"We will certainly take account of the knowledge gained in sharing ideas, systems, contacts and even content, but going forward our objective is to ensure that individual brands are responsible for their own success - driven by dedicated, focused, passionate leaders with the skills to steer the brands into the future. Essentially, our maxim now is 'focus for success'."
The restructuring means several key positions need to be filled, among them marketing services manager, circulation marketing manager and national sales manager for Popular Mechanics, as well as several sales posts, he added.
