Four-times regional daily editor Neil Fowler has landed a new role as a director of one of the UK’s biggest corporate communications agencies.

Neil, who edited the Lincolnshire Echo, Derby Telegraph, Journal and Western Mail, is to become director of creative and content at Headlines.

The move comes after Neil, pictured left, concluded a two-year research fellowship at Nuffield College, Oxford looking into the state of the UK regional press.

In a hard-hitting lecture after completing the project last November, he called for the industry to be returned to local ownership and for more dailies to convert to weeklies.

Now he will be in overall charge of editorial content for Headline whose clients include Tesco, Shell, Nestlé, Carlsberg, BP and Mercedes-Benz.

Based in Milton Keynes, their work mainly involves providing corporate clients with innovative ways to engage their employees – from newspapers and magazines, to online publications, newsletters, video and audio.

Said Neil:  “I’m really pleased to be joining Headlines at this important time in its development.

“I think the current economic climate offers genuinely exciting opportunities for an organisation like Headlines and I know this team can take the chances that will become available and make huge strides.”

Headlines’ Managing Director Peter Doherty added:  “Our clients, our staff and – most importantly – the end readers of the publications we create will all enjoy real benefit from the involvement of one of the industry’s most inspirational figures.

“I am delighted we are able to focus on raising our standards even higher so that we can give our clients the tools to deliver even better communication.”

As well as editing four UK regional dailies, Neil has also edited the consumer magazine Which? and leading Canadian daily the Toronto Sun.

He began his career as a reporter at the Leicester Mercury.