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Local World makes chief information officer redundant

Torben-LundbergA second digital chief has left a regional publisher in less than a week after the company made him redundant.

Local World has announced chief information officer Torben Lundberg’s departure after two years in the role.

This morning’s announcement comes days after it was revealed the company’s digital director Matt Kelly was to take up a new role rival Archant’s chief content officer.

Local World says Torben’s redundancy comes after the “successful” outsourcing of IT from within the company.

Torben joined the publisher in September 2013 with the brief of maintaining and improving the technical infrastructure of the group and providing systems to further digitise the company’s content and commercial operations.

In August 2015 HTFP revealed up to 130 posts could be affected by plans to outsource LW’s IT support service and a number of digital development roles to India – with staff in Derby, Leicester and London particularly hit.

Prior to his appointment he held the same role will Mecom Group Plc, which was founded by Local World chairman David Montgomery.

Torben previously worked as CIO for Berlingske Media, director of digital media at Devoteam Consulting and head of technology at the Danish Broadcasting Corporation.

In the announcement, David said: “We wish to announce that Torben Lundberg, our chief information officer, has left our employment by reason of redundancy following the successful outsourcing of IT in Local World.

“Torben has contributed significantly to the progress we have made in establishing a streamlined and efficient IT organisation and we wish him well in his future career.”

Yesterday it was reported Trinity Mirror’s proposed takeover of Local World was expected to be completed shortly.

31 comments

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  • October 21, 2015 at 7:35 am
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    So, Seb Larsson has gone on a free – should add some quid to the coffers in the transformation of Localworld into Localmirror

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  • October 21, 2015 at 8:27 am
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    If this is the pattern they follow with top HQ execs following outsourcing any chance they could outsource commercial next?

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  • October 21, 2015 at 8:30 am
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    Let’s shed no tears here. I suspect his pay-off and prospects are considerably better than the many folks whose jobs he eliminated.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 8:32 am
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    No doubt he’ll resurface as an executive as part of whatever project the Dear Leader decides to commit himself to next.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 8:47 am
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    That was a wholehearted commitment of 25 months then, the biggest achievement being “outsourcing” a vital company function, at the cost of local Local World jobs, to a foreign country where workers are presumably paid what we would regard as starvation wages. Superb!

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  • October 21, 2015 at 8:50 am
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    Outsourcing to India, if that counts as ‘successful’. To the beancounters, I imagine it does.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 9:26 am
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    Commercial is already outsourced to an alienated saleforce working in cars without bluetooth, Starbucks and Macdonalds Jibber Jabber, on Samsung’s and tablets no bigger than an A5 spiral pad

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  • October 21, 2015 at 9:33 am
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    Sign him up, Mr Highfield! Old Torbs here sounds like just the sort of go-getting, cost-cutter your organisation needs.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 9:49 am
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    Never in the field of human history have so many been hoodwinked by so few

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  • October 21, 2015 at 10:18 am
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    If among his considerable achievements we count the creation of just about he most unreadable on line publications imaginable due to their endless pop up’s, drop downs, in/outs, call them what you will then he is indeed to be congratulated.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 10:30 am
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    Wonder how long it takes for a reporter get his computer fixed now?

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  • October 21, 2015 at 12:15 pm
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    He looks like Swiss Tony.

    Outsourcing work to India is like making love to a beautiful woman…

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  • October 21, 2015 at 12:28 pm
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    How ironic that he was involved in the outsourcing of his department and then he himself was “out sourced”

    maybe he can join his compadre in Norwich?,i hear they always need more managers to manager other managers

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  • October 21, 2015 at 1:26 pm
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    A long time, Glad, a long time…

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  • October 21, 2015 at 1:35 pm
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    Oh the irony of someone who helped to arrange the company’s out sourcing and subsequent job cuts along with presumably a cheaper alternative himself finding his role and him ‘ outsourced’
    What’s the saying?..” What goes around, comes around “

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  • October 21, 2015 at 1:58 pm
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    Torben got rid of a highly experienced IT department and some top web developers to save a few quid. In the end Local World or its succesor will find it was a false economy. They will never get that knowledge or skill back. Good riddance.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 2:09 pm
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    First they outsourced us…
    Then they came for the outsourcers.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 3:25 pm
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    Outsourcing to India a ‘success?’
    It was bad enough at JP having to deal with Leeds but Bangalore is far far worse.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 4:08 pm
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    I have tried on several occasions to read a local paper of this company and the pop ups, drop downs, side winders etc. have nearly driven me mad and I just do not bother any more.
    Local newspapers are dead – long live local newspapers!

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  • October 21, 2015 at 7:07 pm
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    I can tell you for a fact, the outsourced IT department is terrible and not fit for purpose. The company let go some great IT staff, who could quickly fix the any problem. With these jokers it takes hours for problems that would take the former IT staff much shorter time to fix. As long the outsourced workers are so cheap, thats what matters, hey newspaper companies?

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  • October 21, 2015 at 7:11 pm
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    I wouldn’t worry about him too much, he looks quite pleased with himself….. in a “hung by his own petard” kind of way

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  • October 21, 2015 at 7:38 pm
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    I have displeasure to work in a news room and can honestly report that the IT support we receive now is shockingly bad.

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  • October 21, 2015 at 11:00 pm
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    What is a “chief information officer”?

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  • October 22, 2015 at 1:38 pm
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    So IT was outsourced nearly a year ago but David Montgomery’s post says redundant after successful outsourcing after all this time?

    Cynical personal view perhaps the promised developments that outsourcing where going to create have never materialized

    There is a surprise when they have got rid of the people who know the UK IT publishing business the best

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  • October 22, 2015 at 2:12 pm
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    Should the Chief Information Officer be responsible to inform himself of his own departure? Did he not know and if not, who then was the CIO that informed him? All sounds a bit mystical to me!

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  • October 22, 2015 at 4:40 pm
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    1. Many of the IT workers who were replaced were offered employment by the new company. Only two accepted. Others left for better pastures. It was not as if they were let go on short notice.

    2. Regarding the quality of the outsourced IT, I think it is not as good as the people replaced, but the difference is minor. To give them credit, the workload was more than what the previous team had, and there was tremendous pressure on costing. Requests for further hiring were turned down.

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  • October 22, 2015 at 5:47 pm
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    That’s utter bullspit, LWWorker. It’s not the quality of the outsourced IT that is particularly up for debate – we know they do their best. But when it takes nearly two hours to try and get a computer fixed and the guy at the other end of the phone in Bangalore gives up and turns it over to a local IT worker, you have to question how much money it saves the company. You also have to ask, in terms of staff efficiency, how much work I could have got through in those two hours if I hadn’t been tied up on a phone to India.

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  • October 23, 2015 at 9:20 am
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    I’d also take issue with the line they were offered ‘better’ employment, the clue is in your second line ‘only two accepted’.

    People simply do not turn down the offer of ‘better employment’, that is utter nonsense and you know it.

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  • October 23, 2015 at 7:52 pm
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    The IT company does try their best but tbh they are not very good and it takes much longer to fix problems making staff get behind in their work. The difference is not minor at all

    I can tell you one of the people that took a job with the IT company in question, gave his notice in as soon as he could find a better job.

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  • October 25, 2015 at 3:09 pm
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    Presumably this news was one piece of information they kept for him despite being ‘chief information officer’ whatever they might be?
    Makes you wonder how we managed to survive and thrive without them in the past.

    He should go join his pal who’s just defected to Archant, they’re the masters of pompously named job titles, he’d fit in well!

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