Guardian Newspapers appoints ad director

Guardian Newspapers has promoted Stuart Taylor from deputy advertising director to ad director.

The move comes swiftly after the appointment last month of former ad director Carolyn McCall to the role of managing director designate.

McCall says: “With increased Web integration and the development of new products underway, all of which will have a huge impact on advertising, Taylor is ideally placed to capitalise on the company’s success and take our strategy into its next phase.”

Taylor will have responsibility for display and classified ads across The Guardian, Observer and Guardian Unlimited, as well as the company’s Northern ad operation, international advertising and ad production. He will also join the board of Guardian Newspapers.

Taylor says: “Our sales team is hugely talented and we eagerly anticipate the challenges of the next year, in terms of new products and integrated selling across both the papers and Internet products.”

Taylor joined The Observer as a sales executive in 1988, rising through the ranks to deputy ad director in February 2000.