A senior Trinity Mirror executive has left the company in a major restructure of its North-East and Midlands operations.

Steve Brown, who was managing director of Trinity’s North East and Midlands divisions, left the company yesterday.

It is understood that he will not be replaced, with four senior managers who previously reported to him now reporting directly to TM regionals MD Georgina Harvey.

Mr Brown was recently heavily involved in the major restructuring of Trinity’s operations in the West Midlands and the North-East which together resulted in the loss of more than 90 journalists’ jobs.

Trinity Mirror is making no public comment on the changes, but in an internal company memo, Ms Harvey said they were being made as part of an ongoing review of the business and in the light of the “continuing challenging trading conditions.”

Centre MDs John Griffith (Birmingham), Debbie Davies (Coventry) and Bob Cuffe (Teesside) will now report directly to her, in addition to Newcastle commercial director David Simms.

It is anticipated that Mr Simms will step up to the Newcastle MD’s post, another role previously held by Mr Brown.

Also leaving the company are Midlands regional finance director Mick Beale and Midlands business development director Jane Nugent.

Ms Harvey said in the memo: “I would like to thank Steve for his tremendous leadership and outstanding contribution to the success of our North-East business and, more recently, in managing a period of significant change in our Midlands business.

“Our thanks also go to Mick and Jane for their hard work and commitment over the years. I am sure everyone who has come into contact with all three will want to join with me in wishing them well for the future.”

Comments

tynesider (24/04/2009 09:55:54)
Steve will genuinely be missed in the North-east and probably elsewhere. Tough, maybe, but one of the good guys who treated everyone with respect

A Newcastle journalist (24/04/2009 10:43:39)
Not many journalists can say they’ll miss their md. But we all will. Steve brought in the money for the company but he genuinely cared about the staff.

Paul Linford (24/04/2009 10:46:44)
Writing an ex-Journal man rather than as HTFP editor, I would agree with the above sentiments. Steve had to do some difficult things over the past year, but he was one of the good guys.

BingoBango (24/04/2009 10:48:56)
There’s been no comment on the loss of Northcliffe Jobs over the last few weeks.
How strange

DH (24/04/2009 11:05:00)
Pah! Again this weak, top-heavy organisation wheels out the ‘continuing challenging trading conditions’ excuse. Makes a change to see the top branches getting pruned for once, rather than the roots. Bitter? Me? You bet!

SANDY CLAUS (24/04/2009 11:16:45)
I good man who cared about and knew just about everyone in our building. Personally I have a lot to thank him for. Steve will be missed.

An ncj reporter (24/04/2009 12:04:32)
Steve was a good guy, well respected and liked. The fact that Trinity Mirror still hasn’t bothered making an official announcement to staff in Newcastle clearly shows the lack of respect they have for us. I seriously don’t believe the TM bosses know what they are doing.

Angry journo (24/04/2009 12:20:56)
Unbelievably bad decision which will cost TM dearly. Those at the top don’t care about brands or people. Steve Brown is without argument head and shoulders above all of them in terms of his passion, respect, strategic vision, performance delivery and intellect. Someone is going to get a fantastic manager soon. Good luck Steve

Queen of China (24/04/2009 12:24:17)
Yet again we see the idiocy of Trinity Mirror’s top management. Newcastle has made the PLC fortunes every year – and Steve Brown has been a vital part of that. Just months after letting several senior reporting staff take redundo, they’re now axeing the talented MD too. Steve was sometimes tough to deal with, but was basically a decent human being. Obviously no place for him in TM these days…

Jargon fan (24/04/2009 12:36:25)
‘Strategic vision and performance delivery’? Are those really the words of an ‘angry journalist’? There’s no excuse for using b*llsh!t bingo words like that!! Though Steve would be proud…

Worried NE journalist (24/04/2009 13:54:09)
Hard to see how this is going to enhance ncjMedia titles in any way. It adds to a sense that we are being destroyed by Trinity Mirror.

Toon Hack (24/04/2009 14:13:52)
This was an incredibly bad decision. The speed in which it seems to have happened, and the fact the powers that be at Trinity Mirror haven’t been bothered to make any official announcement, only makes for an (even more) unsettling time and uneasy workforce, which is already struggling under difficult circumstances. Makes you realise no one is safe in their job. Morale will suffer.

Insider (24/04/2009 14:16:42)
Just when we thought things were settling down, the T-M clowns chuck another spanner in the works. Steve was the person holding NCJmedia together and with all due respect to the current management, his experience will be missed, as will his personality and basic decency. Overseeing the recent cuts and mergers must have been soul destroying for him. It was obvious that senior posts would go but plainly good managers have no place in T-M any more. It proves the executive has little interest in the titles and are starting to panic in their rush to cut costs, despite what they might say to the contrary.

the red postman (24/04/2009 14:18:27)
It was obvious from the start that he was being parachuted into Birmingham to do Sly’s bidding in cutting 70 journalists’ jobs and no-one will thank him for that, but compared with some of the MDs we have had to suffer here in the last decade, he was basically a decent bloke.

deputy dawg (24/04/2009 15:42:52)
As a former ncj employee, Steve’s departure will be a big loss to ncj and is a big mistake by TM. He was a great MD who had to make difficult decision that affected many people. I was one of them but I respected the choice he made and understood the reason why he made it. An incredibly supportive boss who knew every member of staff by name (yes, all 600+) he will be nigh on impossible to replace.

ncj media employee (24/04/2009 16:30:47)
A shockingly bad decision. I don’t know anyone who has a bad word to say about Steve. He was well liked and respected by eceryone in the building despite the awful times we have lived through recently. Steve didn’t hide from the tough decisions and was a regular visitor to the news room. He cared about journalism and wasn’t just a number cruncher – perhaps that was the reason for his downfall.

felix (24/04/2009 16:50:46)
A thoroughly decent chap, good luck Steve in your next adventure – I’m sure you’ll make a success of it ! FU