A former regional content chief with Reach plc has landed a new role with a group of national newspaper titles.

Jacqui Merrington, pictured, left the regional publisher in August, having most recently served as discovery director of its ‘Live’ network of websites.

Now she has taken on a new role as deputy commercial editorial director at Mail Metro Media, publishers of the Daily Mail, MailOnline, Metro and the i.

It sees her team up with an old colleague, former Lincolnshire Echo editor Steven Fletcher, who worked with Jacqui at the Nottingham Post in the early 2000s and is now commercial editorial director at Mail Metro Media.

Posting on LinkedIn, Jacqui wrote: “And so a new chapter begins…I’m delighted to have joined the team at Mail Metro Media this week as Deputy Commercial Editorial Director.

“It’s been a whirlwind two days being the new girl in the office for the first time in a very long while. But I’ve been made to feel very welcome by a lovely bunch including my old partner in crime Steven Fletcher.

“Last time I went to work with Fletch he took me for five pints of Guinness in my first week. This time I got a bowl of fruit and a chocolate advent calendar. I guess times have changed. Still, I do love a satsuma.

“I’m looking forward to learning a whole lot from a very talented team, working with clients on loads of creative new ideas and carving out an exciting new bridging role between commercial and editorial across print and digital.”

Jacqui’s most recent role with Reach involved overseeing a search engine optimisation project aimed at boosting online readership across the Live network.

She had previously held other senior roles with Reach and its forerunners including the editorships of two Cornish weeklies, launch editor of the Cornwall Live website and audience and content director for the South-West of England.