Ex-ScottishPower chief Russell new Johnston Press chairman

Published on Wednesday 28 January 2009 20:24

JOHNSTON Press, one of Britain's biggest regional media groups, announced yesterday that Ian Russell would succeed Roger Parry as chairman on 12 March, 2009, the day after the group's annual results are published.

The company, which owns The Scotsman Publications, said Parry and two other non-executive directors, Simon Waugh and Gavin Patterson, would leave the board.

Parry will retire at the AGM on 24 April, having spent 12 years on the board, eight as chairman.

Russell, 56, is a former chief executive and finance director of ScottishPower. He left the utility in January 2006, and joined the Johnston Press board as a non-executive director in 2007.

Russell is chairman of Advanced Power and of Remploy, a director of the Mercantile Investment Trust and British Assets Trust, an adviser to 3i Group and Clyde Bergemann Power Group, and chairman of the campaign board for the University of Edinburgh.

Parry led the search for a new Johnston Press chief executive to replace Tim Bowdler, with John Fry, the former head of the Archant publishing group, starting in the post on 5 January this year.

Parry said: "The past 12 years have been characterised by industry consolidation. The last year has been about responding to the recession."

He added that now seemed "an ideal time for me to hand over to Ian to work with John Fry and the board to address the challenges ahead".

Waugh is leaving Johnston Press tomorrow to become chief executive of the new National Apprenticeship Service on 1 February.

Patterson, who joined the company last July, will step down at the AGM on 24 April. He was recently promoted to chief executive of BT Retail.