IPC chief Greene quits to join The Independent

IPC’s circulation director David Greene has joined the exodus of senior executives following the recent management buyout. He is to become circulation director of The Independent newspaper group.

Greene leaves one of the most senior jobs in UK magazine circulation – he is responsible for IPC’s stable of 70 titles – for the challenge of stemming the long-running decline of The Independent and The Independent on Sunday.

Greene’s decision to leave follows that of several IPC executives after January’s 860m IPC management buyout from parent company Reed Elsevier, which was funded by Venture capital group Cinven. More senior staff are expected to leave.

IPC SouthBank division publishing director Heather Love is to become a consultant at BBC Magazines, Ideal Home editor-in-chief Sally O’Sullivan is setting up her own publishing company and young women and parenting ad director Joanne O’Hara has defected to Gruner & Jahr.

Greene takes responsibility for the circulation of a daily paper which relaunched three weeks ago under editor Simon Kelner.

Previous editor Rosie Boycott and editor-in-chief Andrew Marr resigned within eight days of each other a month after Tony O’Reilly’s Independent Newspapers took control.

May’s Audit Bureau of Circulations’ figures reveal the daily title’s circulation dropped 13.93 per cent year on year to 219,974. The Independent on Sunday lost 5.8 per cent year on year to 255,072.

There is no circulation director’s position at the Independent titles at present. Simon Lambert is circulation manager for both papers.

Heather Love Profile, page 32