Standard ousts director of sales

Evening Standard sales director Peter Gould has been sacked and replaced by the paper’s display advertising director Sue Minnikin.

Rumours that Gould – who has held the position for over ten years – was to be asked to leave have circulated since late last year when a headhunter was given a brief for his job. It is believed there were personal clashes with Evening Standard managing director Ian Pay.

Insiders had also expected Gould to leave Associated Newspapers when Max Hastings took on the editorship of the Evening Standard at the start of 1996.

Minnikin was promoted to the role of group commercial executive at Associated in March. Before that, she had been Evening Standard sales controller.

The paper has been shaking out its advertising team since late last year. In March, Sally Smith was promoted to advertisement director classified, from deputy advertisement director. In February, Jill Guthrie, client sales manager, was replaced by Richard Wilson, head of advertising at EMAP Nationals.

In September, Evening Standard deputy advertising sales director and classified sales director John Trickett left suddenly.

Optimedia head of press Simon Timlett says: “The Evening Standard lives or dies by its classified, which does incredibly well in good times and incredibly badly in recessions.”

The Evening Standard sold an average of 428,157 copies a day in April according to Audit Bureau of Circulations figures.

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