Steve Brown to join Johnston Press as North MD

Johnston Press has appointed Steve Brown, one of the most experienced executives in the regional press who won the support of journalists while at Trinity Mirror, as the new divisional managing director North with effect from 9 September 2010.
He will be based in Leeds, where Johnston publish the Yorkshire Post and Yorkshire Evening Post. Brown's appointment follows the departure of Chris Green last month.
Brown has spent his career in the regional newspaper industry, having held senior positions at Northcliffe, Trinity Mirror and latterly with the Wolverhampton-based Claverley Group, parent company of the Express & Star and Shropshire Star. He left Claverley in March after only a short time in the post. He had previously been managing director of Trinity Mirror Midlands,publisher of the Birmingham Post and Birmingham Mail.

• Brown was extremely popular with Trinity's journalists. In a rare move, the NUJ chapel at Trinity's Newcastle centre protested at his departure and described him as "an exceptional MD" even though there had been a round of redundancies.

• Johnston has appointed Henry Faure Walker as digital and business development director. He joined Johnston in 2002 as group business development manager and was most recently general manager of the Scotsman Publications.