ARCHANT, the community media group which publishes the Cambs Times/Wisbech Standard, has announced a change in its structure to reduce the number of separate divisions and focus on delivering growth.

Archant Regional, the group’s newspaper publishing arm, will see three of its businesses covering Norfolk, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, Essex and Cambridgeshire brought together under a single division, Archant Anglia.

The new division will be led by Johnny Hustler, currently Managing Director of Archant Lifestyle.

Mr Hustler said: “The new Anglia structure allows us to orchestrate some of the strongest local media brands in the country and allows us to provide our customers with an array of flexible solutions, whether they are local or stretch across the whole of East Anglia.”

Stephan Phillips, Managing Director of Archant Norfolk, has decided to take early retirement and Stuart McCreery, Managing Director of Archant Suffolk and Archant Herts & Cambs, has decided to leave the company to pursue other business interests.

The group’s London newspaper and magazine businesses will be combined into a single Archant London entity headed by Enzo Testa, currently leader of the London newspaper business.

Mr Testa said: “We believe we are the largest purely local community media player in print in London, and have one of the fastest growing local news websites in London24.com.

“Combining the strength of our newspapers, magazines and websites across London’s communities will increase our ability to grow our presence in the most dynamic media marketplace in the UK, and provide better solutions for our customers.”

Miller Hogg, currently Managing Director of Archant Specialist, will take over from Mr Hustler at the head of Archant Lifestyle which spans Archant Life, Archant Specialist and Archant Dialogue and now also includes Archant South West and Archant KOS Media. Mr Hogg started his publishing career in regional newspapers.

He said: “We have the biggest county magazine portfolio in the country, alongside a range of quality specialist magazines and a strong and innovative contract publishing business, which I am delighted to be taking forward.

“I am also looking forward to developing the established newspapers, magazines and digital brands from Kent and the South West.”

Adrian Jeakings, Chief Executive of Archant said: “We are living through a time of unprecedented change and increasing competition in the media industry. Our future growth depends on our ability to respond rapidly and cost-effectively to our customers’ evolving needs. These structural changes will help us do this better and faster.”