15.03.02
Archant names news chief executive
John Fry has been appointed as chief executive of leading independent UK media business Archant.
He joins in June and takes over from Peter Strong who is retiring after five years in charge.
John (45) is currently chief executive of Misys International Banking Systems, a leading international computer software provider to the banking industry, and is the former president of Dun and Bradstreet Europe. He also served as a non-executive director of Portsmouth and Sunderland newspaper group.
John began his career with Procter and Gamble working in Belgium, Germany and Italy before joining strategy consultant Bain & Company in the UK. He holds a Masters degree in Business Administration from INSEAD in France and an MA from Cambridge University.
"I am delighted to be joining a great business as it enters a new era under the Archant name," said John. "I look forward to being part of a highly talented team and further developing the business. We have been at the heart of local communities for over a hundred years and I am confident we will remain a trusted and respected part of daily life, within the communities we serve, for at least the next hundred."
Archant chairman Richard Jewson said: "We are delighted to welcome John to the company, which he joins at a time of great opportunity. "In recent years we have grown our newspaper business and entered the world of magazine and digital publishing. This growth has resulted in the recent rebranding of the company from Eastern Counties Newspapers Group to Archant. "We plan to successfully continue our progress under this new brand."
Peter Strong, who joined the company from Emap in 1996, will be leaving the Board but is to remain associated with the business as non-executive chairman of the Archant Lifestyle Board, the management body for the Group's magazine businesses.
John Fry and his wife Anne will be moving to Norfolk with their four children who are aged between 7 and 15.
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