John Banks has been appointed regional managing director of Newsquest (Hampshire).

Previously holding the same role in Newsquest’s South West region, his new job is based in Southampton.

Newsquest (Hampshire) covers publishing centres at Andover, Basingstoke, Salisbury, Southampton and Winchester.

Titles published include two of the oldest paid-for weeklies in the UK – the Hampshire Chronicle and the Salisbury Journal – as well as the Andover Advertiser, Basingstoke Gazette and the Southern Daily Echo.

John has spent 31 years in newspapers, joining the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo in 1974 as a property sales representative. Previous posts have included management roles at Sheffield Newspapers and Cambridge Newspapers, Thomson Regional Newspapers and South London Guardian Newspapers.

He was appointed MD for Newsquest (South London) and in 2000, regional MD of Newsquest (South West).

Two other senior appointments have been announced by the company: