One of the longest-serving editorial leaders in Reach plc is leaving the business in the wake of its announcement of 450 job losses.

Marc Reeves, former editor of the Birmingham Post and more recently its marketplace publisher in the Midlands, South and Wales, has decided to step down from his role at the end of the year.

Marc, pictured, is the most senior editorial figure so far to announce his departure in the current round of cutbacks which saw many journalists take voluntary redundancy last week.

He is the last of the four original marketplace publishers appointed in a 2020 restructure to leave the business, the others being Bill Martin (South West), Darren Thwaites (North West) and Neil Hodgkinson (North East.)

Marc first joined Reach predecessor Trinity Mirror as editor of the Reading Chronicle before taking up the editorship of the Post, his hometown paper, in 2006.

He left when the paper went weekly in 2009 and then ran thebusinessdesk.com’s West Midlands portal, but returned as publisher and editor-in-chief of the group’s Midlands titles in 2013, where he helped launch Birmingham Live.

More recently as marketplace publisher, he supported newsrooms across the Midlands, South and Wales, as well as the BusinessLive team, as well as heading up the regionals editorial print operation post-Covid.

In January this year, he was appointed to lead Reach’s affiliate strategy, since when revenues have more than doubled.

Said Marc: “I’ve been privileged to be involved in some of the biggest changes the industry has ever seen, and it’s been an honour to share that journey with the very best journalists and editorial leaders in the business.

“Amidst all the changes and challenges though, I remain most proud of the real and positive difference local and regional journalism makes to the lives of our readers every day.

“I will always cherish the work the Birmingham team did over many years, campaigning for justice for the victims of the Birmingham Pub Bombings, and raising money and donations for the most vulnerable in our society.

“For me, this is why I became a journalist in the first place and I am proud to have played a part in that.”

Chief digital publisher David Higgerson added: “I would like to place on record my thanks for Marc’s leadership, in numerous roles, over the years I have worked with him.

“As well as inspiring those around him, his readiness to try new things and ask ‘what if’ has been a tremendous asset to the business, and I have enjoyed enormously working with Marc. I look forward to seeing what he does next.”

The future management structure of Reach’s regional operations remains unclear with the impact of the current round of cutbacks yet to fully emerge.

David told staff: “We’ll update soon on our plans for leadership in this area as we work through the broader changes to our editorial team.”