Telegraph Raids Rival Associated For New Chief Executive
The Barclay brothers have poached Murdoch MacLennan, managing director of Associated Newspapers, to become chief executive of the Telegraph titles they acquired last month for £665 million.
It is understood that the highly secretive twins have been talking to the 54 year-old newspaper veteran for some weeks and have now persuaded him to join the new Telegraph board in an appointment that will be officially announced later this week.
MacLennan is a widely respected newspaper executive with a significant amount of industry experience. He has been group managing director of Associated Newspapers for the last ten years and the group will no doubt be loathed to loose him.
As chief executive of The Telegraph Group, MacLennan is expected to oversee a process of rationalisation at the Daily and Sunday Telegraph in a move that looks likely to include a significant number of job losses.
Sources at Associated Newspapers told the Sunday Times: “We are sorry to lose him, but we are not surprised the Telegraph has come calling because of the talent that was at the group. There is more new talent coming through though.”
It was expected that the Barclay brothers would offer Andrew Neil, editor-in-chief of The Scotsman, Scotland on Sunday and The Business, a top job at the Telegraph Group. However, it now appears that that he will not play a part in the day-to-day running of the group and will remain focused on the Scottish titles.
MacLennan will fill the role left vacant by Jeremy Deedes, who stepped down as chief executive of the Telegraph Group after coming out of retirement to oversee its sale earlier this year. It is thought he received a significant pay-off for his part in the multi-million pound deal (see Barclays Not Expected To Shake-Up Telegraph Group).
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