Wills' appointment as group managing editor extends his responsibilities to the Independent
Credit: Tim Ireland/PADoug Wills, managing editor of the Evening Standard, has been appointed as group managing editor of Evening Standard Ltd and Independent Print Ltd, meaning he will work across both the Standard and the Independent.
The titles are both owned by Russian billionaire Alexander Lebedev.
Wills first joined the Evening Standard in 1987 and has been managing editor for six years. He was responsible for co-ordinating editorial operations when Lebedev switched the ailing London title to a freesheet in 2009.
Two new deputy managing editor positions have been created in the wake of Wills' promotion. They have gone to Sean O'Grady, currently the Independent's economics editor, and William Gore, currently public affairs director of the Press Complaints Commission.
The Independent announced a change of editor last month, with Simon Kelner moving on to become editor-in-chief of the newspaper and sister title the Independent on Sunday 13 years after first taking the reins.
Kelner will have no day-to-day involvement in the running of the newspapers in his new role.
He was replaced by Evening Standard city editor and columnist Chris Blackhurst.
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