Evening Standard raids Times for new MD
Associated Newspapers has poached Andrew Mullins from News International to fill the managing director role at the London Evening Standard.
Mullins, general manager at Times Newspapers since 2005, and formerly the newspaper group’s marketing director, replaces veteran Associated executive Bert Hardy, who announced in June that he would be retiring. He has been unwell for some time.
Mullins, who has been at News International for six years, says: "I am immensely proud to have worked for News International over the past six years and have learned a great deal there. However, the opportunity to help play a role in securing and building an exciting and influential future for the Evening Standard is a challenge I did not feel I could turn down."
He adds: "The Evening Standard is uniquely placed as the only quality daily newspaper focused solely on London. I am greatly looking forward to working with the editorial and commercial teams at the Standard."
Mullins’ first challenge will be to address the Standard’s falling circulation in the face of competition from News International’s freesheet thelondonpaper and Associated’s own free afternoon title London Lite. Mullins has also worked at Unilever and Diageo.