Trinity Mirror has announced plans to recruit 20 new digital staff across editorial and sales, with at least half of the appointments understood to be editorial.

A statement from the regional publisher said the changes were part of a plan to "drive and diversify digital growth".

The announcement comes alongside news of a senior management restructure, with the appointment of three managing directors to oversee print and digital publishing, as well as a managing director for digital marketing and a digital publishing director.

A statement from Trinity Mirror said the restructure would see a "more focused reporting structure that will help Trinity Mirror Regionals further accelerate development from a newspaper business into a multimedia business".

The full list of senior appointments is as follows:

• Steve Anderson-Dixon appointed managing director for the publishing businesses in the North West, Manchester and North & South Wales
• Simon Edgley appointed managing director for the publishing businesses in the South, Midlands and North East
• Sara Wilde appointed managing director – commercial, Trinity Mirror Regionals
• David Higgerson appointed to the newly-created role of digital publishing director
• Phil Machray, in addition to his role as chief operating officer, has been appointed managing director – digital marketing services.

All the new roles will report to Georgina Harvey, managing director of Trinity Mirror Regionals.

Harvey said: "I am delighted to make these appointments as we will now have in place a management structure that matches our strategic intent to diversify our revenues and accelerate our growth into a multimedia business."

Following the November announcement of a 7 per cent drop in advertising revenues and 3 per cent in circulation revenue over the four months to the end of October, Trinity Mirror Regional said last week that it had implemented a pay freeze for all staff, "the board, all management and employees of the group".