Regional Press

Maisie McCabe, mediaweek.co.uk, 01 December 2008, 4:05pm

KM Group hires Mead as MD

LONDON - The Kent Messenger Group has appointed former managing director of Trinity Mirror Southern, Graham Mead, as its new managing director, replacing Chris Bisco who retires in June.

KM Group: Mead hires as new MD

Mead will be working on KM Group's business plan to ensure the company survives the current economic downturn and is prepared for the future.

He takes up his new role on 20 January, working alongside Bisco for the first six months.

Mead has worked in regional press since 1993 and held various roles with Trinity Mirror before becoming managing director of Trinity Mirror Southern. Since leaving Trinity Mirror, he has worked as a consultant with the KM Group, Tindle Newspapers and Johnston Press.

Geraldine Allinson, chairman of KM Group, said Mead has strong commercial and strategic skills and is accustomed to leading teams and businesses through significant change.

She said Mead's "highly relevant experience" of driving new revenue streams, particularly through the growth of digital revenues, means he has the right experience to guide the company through particularly challenging times.

KM Group owns seven paid-for newspapers, including the Kent Messenger, nine free newspapers, 11 websites and eight radio stations across Kent.