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Archant

Archant announces downsize to new 'customer-centric' model

By Gregor Cubie

October 10, 2013 | 2 min read

Archant, the local newspaper publisher, has announced that from January 2014 it will downsize to operate as two trading branches rather than three in an effort to become more "customer-centric".

Archant chief executive, Adrian Jeakings, wrote to all staff today (October 10) saying: “... even with the great work that we’ve all done this year, and the progress that we’ve made, our revenues are still lower than last year. To change this is going to require us to act differently and, in particular, execute change better. To do this we need to change our structure and my leadership team."

Jeakings went on to say that the new, two-branch model would "build on the obvious success of the market-facing divisions that we created in 2011".

Miller Hogg, the current managing director of Archant Lifestyle, will lead a new trading division which will include the current Anglia business, the newspapers in London and all operations in Kent.

The other division will be led by current Archant London MD, Will Hattam, and will include magazines and newspapers in the south-west.

"In order to make the most of the digital opportunities open to us, and to be sure that we get the best out of our resources, we are bringing together all of our digital development and product management under a single digital organisation," added Jeakings.

Archant is currently in a transitional phase, having suspended publication of six monthly titles in June, before Roy Greenslade reported yesterday (9 October) in his Guardian blog that the company's chairman, Richard Jewson, is to step down after 17 years.

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