Reach chief leaves job

REACH’S boss is stepping down next month after seven years in charge.

Simon Fox will leave the newspaper publisher, which owns the Mirror, Express and Star titles, on August 16. The 58-year-old will be replaced by Jim Mullen, the former boss of gambling firm Ladbrokes Coral, who previously worked at Rupert Murdoch’s news International. Fox’s exit comes after he oversaw a series of major deals at Reach, formerly known as Trinity Mirror.

It acquired local newspaper owner Local World for £220m in 2015 and in 2018 it bought Richard Desmond’s northern & Shell publishing titles, including the Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and OK! Magazine, for £184m.