Axe falls on Northern & Shell ad chiefs in department rejig

Northern & Shell has axed its three most senior advertising executives as part of a shake-up of its advertising department. The redundancies are the latest in a long line of senior departures from the group over recent weeks.

Northern & Shell has axed its three most senior advertising executives as part of a shake-up of its advertising department. The redundancies are the latest in a long line of senior departures from the group over recent weeks.

Jeremy Slattery, head of classified advertising at the Richard Desmond-owned publisher, and advertising controllers for the Daily and Sunday Express, Karen Newton and Gary Savage, have all accepted redundancy packages and left the company. The positions will not be filled. The company has promoted Melanie Danks, advertising controller for the Daily Star and Daily Star Sunday, to group advertisement controller. Group joint managing director Stan Myerson oversaw the appointment.

A Northern & Shell spokesman says that following a review of the department’s management structure a decision had been made to simplify access for advertising agencies across the whole group.

The changes come just months after the departure of group marketing director Tim Pemberton and Mike Orlov, the ad director leading Express Newspapers’ launch of a free London evening newspaper. Orlov’s departure was linked with management failure to provide a launch date for the title. Rival Associated Newspapers launched Standard Lite late last year. Pemberton quit his job after just six weeks without a job to go to (MW February 24).