David Lewis, managing director of the Kent Messenger Group, has been made chief executive.

Edwin Boorman, who is the Newspaper Society’s immediate past president, remains as executive chairman of the Group.

Edwin said: “For some time, David has really been our chief executive. It is high time that it is officially recognised.

“David and I work well together. We share the same values.

“During the past 12 months, while I have been president of the Newspaper Society, David has taken the responsibility for all that happens at the KM.

“And in that time, he has had spectacular success. The KM was chosen as the weekly newspaper of the year for the second time running, our company was ranked by the Sunday Times as one of the best 100 companies to work for – the only member of our industry to make the grade – and circulation of all our weeklies has increased, making the Kent Messenger the largest single regional weekly in the country.

David, (54), joined the Kent Messenger Group in 1994 as editorial director.

In 1996, he took on the expanded role of publishing director responsible for the editorial, advertising and newspaper sales departments and joined the board of Kent Messenger Group. He was appointed managing director in 1999.

He began his career with North of England Newspapers on his home town evening paper, the Evening Despatch in Darlington, then moved within the group to his first editorship at the Bradford Star free newspaper before being appointed editor of Kentish Times Newspapers, Sidcup, then Westminster Press’s largest weekly newspaper group.

He became deputy managing director during two changes of ownership but moved on to Associated Newspapers in London in 1990 as a consultant helping co-ordinate business development projects with the Daily Mail and Evening Standard.

A strong advocate of promoting the strengths of local news and information, he is adopting the same policy with each of the company’s five radio stations as chairman of KM Radio Limited, the company’s new radio subsidiary.

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