The most senior financial executive at regional publisher Johnston Press has resigned after two years and been replaced by a former BBC Worldwide boss.

David King, who has recently been working as a consultant with JP, has been appointed chief financial officer after Grant Murray decided to leave.

Grant, 48, was appointed to the role by former chief executive John Fry in March 2011, having previously been chief financial officer at both the Guardian Media Group and Channel 5.

David’s previous experience included a stint as chief executive of the Time Out group as well as chief financial officer of BBC Worldwide, where he oversaw an increase in turnover from £354m to more than £800m.

Johnston Press chairman Ian Russell said “I welcome David to the Johnston Press Board and believe that his wealth of relevant experience will prove him to be an excellent choice of successor to Grant.

“Meanwhile I would like to thank Grant on behalf of the Board for everything he has done for Johnston Press over the last two years and wish him well for the future.”

David, who will take up his post on 1 June, first qualified as a chartered accountant in 1984.

He later worked for a Citibank/Storehouse plc joint venture and before joining Coopers & Lybrand in 1988 where he spent six years as a management consultant working with a number of FTSE 100 companies.