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News UK reshuffles senior team to take a title-led approach to sales and marketing

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By Jessica Goodfellow, Media Reporter

November 10, 2016 | 4 min read

News UK is taking a title-led approach to circulation revenue, subscription sales and marketing, replacing formerly cross-title roles with those focused on The Times and The Sun specifically, as well as creating a team dedicated to understanding the publisher's data and delivering audiences to advertisers.

Chris Duncan

Chris Duncan

As part of the changes, former chief customer officer Chris Duncan becomes managing director for The Times and The Sunday Times. Duncan was handed the customer role in February as part of a commercial restructure, formerly acting as chief marketing officer. The switch was emblematic of the media group's push to be less commercially dependent on advertising and instead seek out new revenue opportunities.

Now, Duncan has been charged with hunting down new revenue opportunities solely for the publisher’s premium brand, as much of this year’s efforts have been focused on The Sun with the launch of Sun Bets, the acquisition of Wireless Group and its plans to utilise TalkSport, and investments in its fantasy football game Dream Team.

Duncan will be supported by Catherine Newman who has been appointed chief marketing officer for The Times and The Sunday Times.

Meanwhile David Robinson, previously director of betting and gaming, becomes managing director of The Sun and The Sun on Sunday. Robinson’s brief is to grow sales, increase the scale of The Sun's audience through partnerships with the radio brands acquired through Wireless Group, and identify new opportunities to grow the brand.

All of The Sun's business initiatives that monetise its audience - including The Sun’s betting and gaming business - will now come under the overall Sun business.

Kate Bird, formerly betting and gaming marketing director, has been appointed as chief marketing officer in Robinson’s team.

Jeff Misenti, who joined News UK from Fox News earlier in the year, will take up the new title of managing director of audience, insight and experience. His team will be charged with operating at the 'cutting edge' of ad tech, understanding News UK’s data and delivering audiences to advertisers.

Commercial sales across all titles remain the responsibility of chief commercial officer Dominic Carter.

David Dinsmore, chief operating officer for News UK, commented: “The business models for our titles have evolved and are now clearly defined. The Times and The Sunday Times reach a valuable, premium audience, and The Sun and the Sun on Sunday reach a popular audience at significant scale on a daily basis.

"It has become increasingly necessary to have separate leadership and to change the structure of my senior team and I am confident that these changes will enable us to focus on driving sustainable revenue streams for our titles in their respective markets."

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