Mirror loses top man to United Newspapers>

The exodus from the Mirror Group gathered pace after sales manager for the group Andy Whelan quit to join United Newspapers.

Whelan joins the Star as advertising manager, reporting to group advertising director Andy Jonesco and his deputy Julie France.

This completes a trio of appointments of advertising managers at United Newspapers. Last month, Virgin Radio marketing director Rhidian Crichton-Stuart was appointed to the same role on the Express. Last week, it was announced that Simon Mukerjee, group advertising manager for TV weeklies at IPC, would take that role at the Sunday Express.

At the Mirror Group, Whelan’s role spanned all the group’s titles – the Mirror, the Sunday Mirror, the People, the Daily Record and the Sunday Mail.

Whelan is the tenth senior marketer or advertiser to quit since Andrew Kitching was appointed as managing director, marketing eight months ago. Simon Nelson, brand development manager at The Independent, left in February, following in the footsteps of brand development manager for the People and the Sunday Mirror Darren Rawcliffe.