Gavin O'Reilly is to deliver this year's Society of Editors Lecture at its conference in November.

The group chief operating officer of Independent News and Media, publisher of the Belfast Telegraph and The Independent, will speak at the opening of the event in Manchester.

He is also president of the World Association of Newspapers.

SoE president Paul Horrocks, editor of the Manchester Evening News, said: "We are especially fortunate we have Gavin O'Reilly to deliver the lecture this year.

"He will bring a special perspective from his role with WAN, as well as chief executive of a major multinational media organisation."

The prestigious lecture has preciously been delivered by industry figures such as Andrew Neil, Les Hinton, Tim Bowdler and Sir Christopher Meyer.

Others already confirmed to speak at the three-day event include former Trinity Mirror chief executive Philip Graf, ex-Western Mail editor Neil Fowler and Steve Lowe, group editor of LSN Media.

The conference will open on Sunday, November 4 with the Society of Editors Lecture in Cloud 23, the exclusive bar on the 23rd floor of the new Hilton Deansgate.

Monday will see a number of working sessions and keynote speeches, followed by the annual gala dinner at the Lowry Centre in neighbouring Salford.

The conference will close with a breakfast seminar on Tuesday, November 6.

For more details go to www.societyofeditors.co.uk