Archant promotes Jeakings to chief executive

LONDON - Archant, the regional newspaper publisher, has promoted group finance director Adrian Jeakings to the role of chief executive, replacing John Fry who Johnston Press has today (Wednesday) confirmed as its new chief executive.

Fry will leave Archant on 31 December and take up his new role with Johnston Press on 5 January. He will take over from current Johnston Press chief executive, Tim Bowdler, who is retiring next May.

The move comes as Johnston Press battles against an increasingly tough advertising market, particularly in the classified and property sectors.

Jeakings will take up the chief executive role at Archant on 1 November. Before moving to the newspaper publisher, Jeakings was group finance director at The Stationery Office, which provides management services to the government and industry.

He has also previously held senior roles at Schlumberger, Graco and Dun & Bradstreet.

Archant said that Fry and Jeakings had worked closely together since 2002, during what it termed a period of rapid change and investment for the business.

Archant publishes four daily regional newspapers and around 60 weekly titles with an overall circulation of 2.5 million copies every week. It also publishes 100 magazines.

John Reynolds
Mediaweek