Express group axes display ad roles

Media Week revealed in May that the group was overhauling its commercial operations and putting its 24-strong advertising display team into consultation.

Following the completion of the consultation, the group is parting company with Tarun Naipual, a group head on the Express titles, and Simon Hopkins, a group head on its Star newspaper brands. The restructure is likely to see a reduction in headcount of only four people.

Express Newspapers previously operated four advertising units across its advertising display teams, two across the Daily Star and Daily Star on Sunday, and two across the Daily Express and the Sunday Express.

These teams will now be replaced by one unit for the Star brands, headed by Jason Campbell, display advertising executive, and one for the Express brand, headed by Mark Grove.

The new teams will be headed by Jane Putley, display advertising controller for the Daily Express and Daily Star.

Melanie Danks, group head of trading at Express Newspapers, said the changes, which will lead to undisclosed cost savings, would "empower the reps with responsibility" and raise the profiles of its unit heads. She added: "This will lead to a streamlined, efficient ship."

The Daily Star has enjoyed circulation growth in recent months - posting a year-on-year circulation leap of nearly 13% in April to 822,646 copies. Meanwhile, circulation for the Daily Express was steady, down just 0.2% over the year in April.

This article was first published on mediaweek.co.uk