Regional newspaper publisher Johnston Press has appointed a Norwegian businessman as a new non-executive director.

The group has announced Kjell Aamot will join its board with effect from 1 August.

He was chief executive officer of Norwegian publisher Schibsted ASA for 20 years from 1989, transforming it from a family-owned business into an international multi-media company.

Mr Aamot continues to serve as a non-executive member on the boards of 20Minutes, a publisher of free papers in France, and PubliGroupe, a Swiss-based marketing and sales organisation, while he is also an advisor to FSN Capital – a private equity firm based in Oslo.

Ian Russell, chairman of Johnston Press, said: “Kjell will be a tremendous asset to Johnston Press and I am delighted to welcome him to our board.

“He brings an excellent track record in managing change in the media sector which will be of immense value to us.”

Mr Aamot previously served as a board member at Nordea Bank AB, stepping down in spring 2008.

Comments

JP Survivor (21/07/2010 09:36:59)
Glug, glug, glug on the gravy train! The managers are doing a fantastic job.

An Olso dentist (21/07/2010 09:58:16)
How can they a fjord him?

prionmonkey (21/07/2010 10:27:55)
The ruling classes slap esch others backs while hundreds of good journalists have lost their jobs. Disgraceful, clueless.

Creosote Arthur (21/07/2010 11:09:59)
The poor bloke hasn’t even arrived yet and the morons have their knives out.
Welcome to JP, Kjell.
Ignore the shrivelled-up prunes that frequent these pages.
We’re not all like that.

subsrule (21/07/2010 11:14:17)
I’ve stopped buying news papers these days – the comments on here make far more amusing reading…..

Observer (21/07/2010 12:57:39)
I love that saying ‘managing change’. He should be a journalist, that’s what they have to do every month when they get their pay packet.

dontyaluvit (21/07/2010 13:02:22)
And then there’s the JP brown noses to watch for although Creosote Arthur isn’t one of them of course- just a super optimist.

Col Kurtz (21/07/2010 15:00:03)
Hold the front page – where the bitter down table sub is king and queen

A. J. Ournalist (21/07/2010 15:24:52)
I love the way the very same people who constantly complain that JP lacks decent leadership and management are now complaining that they’ve brought in a proven leader and manager. Are you people EVER happy???

realword (22/07/2010 10:50:12)
AJ Ournalist: If this bloke can sort out some of the lack of talent and even sheer common sense at local management level he will be worth a try.