Jerry Harris appointed managing director, group newspapers & digital products for News Limited
The chief executive of News Limited Kim Williams announced today that Jerry Harris, (pictured), well known to many senior creatives for his involvement with the annual Caxton Awards and Seminar over the years, has been appointed to a new role as managing director, group newspapers and digital products.
Harris is currently managing director of News Queensland publisher of The Courier- Mail and Sunday Mail as well as a number of regional and community titles. His new appointment is effective 16 January 2012 and is based in Sydney. He will report to Kim Williams.
Says Williams: “In his new role, Jerry and I will work side by side to ensure that our newspapers have the required management focus to achieve the results we expect from them. At the same time, we will be accelerating the roll-out of premium digital content by each masthead across online, mobile, and other emerging platforms. Jerry brings the experience, drive and commitment needed to ensure we continue to produce the most compelling content and the most commercially successful media assets in the industry.”
Harris’ association with News goes back 30 years. He joined News International in 1981 as a classified sales executive at Times Newspapers in London. In 1985 he became advertising manager of the British edition of Elle magazine, and, subsequently, publisher of Elle and its sister magazine Elle Decoration.
He moved to Australia in 1990, and joined Australian Consolidated Press as associate sales director of a number of titles including The Bulletin, Cleo and House and Garden.
In 1991 Harris returned to News as advertising director of The Australian. His role was then
expanded to include the advertising sales operations of The Daily Telegraph and The Sunday Telegraph.
In 1995 he was appointed managing director of Mirror Australian Telegraph Publications (MATP) and a director of News Limited.
Harris moved to Brisbane in 2001 to become managing director of News Queensland, with
responsibility for The Courier-Mail and Sunday Mail, and News Limited’s regional operations in the Gold Coast, Townsville and Cairns and for the community titles at Quest.
Says Harris: “I am honoured and delighted that Kim has asked me to return to Sydney to take a broader role across all of our newspapers and their websites. The deep connections our news brands have with their communities across Australia, is a powerful platform from which to grow our business during this time of great challenge and opportunity.”
Harris’ successor at News Queensland will be announced in the new year.
1 Comment
Congratulations Jerry. You are a great supporter of creativity and deserve every success. You were great to work with on the Caxton committee as you contributed to its evolution and form during those years. Go for it Jerry.