Alma Media´s regional and local newspaper unit named Alma Regional Media
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Alma Media Corporation Press release January 26, 2012 at 10.30 am EET
ALMA MEDIA´S REGIONAL AND LOCAL NEWSPAPER UNIT NAMED ALMA REGIONAL MEDIA
On November 1, 2011, Alma Media announced it will start the planning of a new
operational model aiming at significant changes in both the Group´s organisation
and its management system starting in the beginning of 2012. The reorganisation
is a result of Alma Media´s strategy, emphasising the growth of its digital
business and improving the efficiency and quality of its publishing operations.
One of the most significant changes planned in the organisation is combining
Alma Media´s regional and local newspapers into one business unit. This
structural change was implemented in the beginning of 2012. The new business
unit has been named Alma Regional Media, and it comprises the former business
units of Aamulehti, Satakunnan Kirjateollisuus, Suomen Paikallissanomat and
Northern Media. The new unit will be reported under Alma Media´s Newspapers
segment.
Alma Regional Media is headed by Kari Juutilainen, formerly Managing Director of
Suomen Paikallissanomat Oy. He is supported by a management team consisting of
Mr Juutilainen himself and Jaakko Lintunen, Commercial Director responsible for
advertising and circulation sales, Jukka Raudasoja, Business Control Director,
Hippu Pintilä, HR Manager, Jaakko Sipola, Sales Director, responsible for
circulation sales, Jouko Jokinen, Executive Editor-in-Chief of Aamulehti, Petri
Hakala, Executive Editor-in-Chief of Satakunnan Kansa, and Antti Kokkonen,
Executive Editor-in-Chief of Lapin Kansa.
-The challenges we´re seeing in the operating environment of the publishing
business are manifold and important. That´s why we need more and better
cooperation than ever. Our goal is to increase efficiencies and at the same time
improve the quality that readers and advertisers perceive. We are planning to
bring together the back-office functions supporting all of Alma Regional Media´s
34 newspapers in a way that unifies the crucial processes and gets rid of
overlapping work, says Kari Juutilainen, Head of Alma Regional Media.
Besides the organisational change, Alma Media is pursuing a parallel project
aiming at simplifying the legal structure of the Group, in other words, decrease
the number of independent Group companies. As part of this project, a new
company, Alma Media Kustannus Oy (Alma Media Publishing Ltd) has been
established, into which, for example, the separate companies that earlier
published Alma Regional Media´s newspapers will gradually be merged. Alma
Regional Media will not have separate managing directors for the different
publishing companies or newspapers. As a result, Juha Ruotsalainen, former
Managing Director of publishing company Aamulehti, and Matti Ilmivalta, former
Managing Director of Northern Media, no longer work at Alma Media.
More information: Kari Juutilainen, Head of Alma Regional Media, telephone
+358 50 435 4159
Alma Media in brief
Alma Media is a dynamic media company whose best-known products are Aamulehti,
Iltalehti, Kauppalehti and Etuovi.com. Alma Media employs approximately 2,800
professionals. The company´s net sales in 2010 totalled MEUR 311.4 with an
operating margin of 13.9 per cent. Alma Media´s share (ALN1V) is listed in the
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Exchange. Read more at www.almamedia.fi
This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that:
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and
other applicable laws; and
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and
originality of the information contained therein.
Source: Alma Media Oyj via Thomson Reuters ONE
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