Separate sales teams for Associated titles

Associated Newspapers is restructuring its display sales department, spinning off the Evening Standard into a standalone team. The change will see it break away from the London Lite team which will now become part of the publisher’s free newspaper division.

New sales positions have also been created in a bid to strengthen the Evening Standard display advertising team. The eight roles will focus on client sales and will be co-located with the Evening Standard editorial team.

Andrew Mullins, Evening Standard managing director, says: “The time has come to deliver greater focus and specialisation for each brand.

“The Evening Standard now needs a structure that is more closely aligned to targeting its very influential and upmarket audience and it is on the clients and agencies that target these consumers where our energy and creativity will be even more focused as a result of this change.”

Since the launch of London Lite in 2006, its sales staff had been integrated with the Evening Standard to oversee the London afternoon advertising market.

Meanwhile, London Lite will have a standalone trading team within the Free Division with planning being integrated into Metro’s display sales team. To coincide with the move, assistant managing director Karen Wall has been appointed chief operating officer for London Lite with responsibility for developing the brand.

Grant Woodthorpe will extend his executive sales role to encompass London Lite as well as Metro. Gemma Ryder, head of trading of London Lite, will report to Woodthorpe.