Tony Harris, divisional managing director of Emap Business
Communications’ Media and Fashion companies, lost his job last
Thursday.
The news followed a restructure which created a new division called Emap
Retail - comprising Emap Fashion, exhibition specialist TPS and the
retail elements of Emap Maclaren.
Harris is literally sailing off into the sunset and from next week will
spend the rest of the year on a trans-Atlantic yacht. Harris and EBC are
contractually prevented from discussing the details of his sudden
departure after ten years with the company.
Previously Harris was managing director of Emap Computing, and before
that, managing director of Emap Response (now Emap Automotive). He cut
his teeth in publishing roles at VNU, and before joining Emap, ran the
Midlands-based freesheet, Post and Star Newspapers.
Meanwhile, Emap Retail will be headed by divisional managing director
David Metcalfe. It will comprise nine magazines and 13 exhibitions,
including Drapers Record, Retail Week, Asian Plastics News and
streetwear show 40o, and will have estimated revenues of pounds 50
million.
Each company will continue to exist individually but at an inaugural
Emap Retail board meeting this week representatives will discuss to what
degree ’synergies can be leveraged’. Closer co-operation across
exhibitions and electronic publishing is likely.
Metcalfe said the move may result in some staff - now based in Islington
and Croydon - being moved together but said initiating a group sales
function was ’extremely unlikely in the short term’.
He said: ’We may look at that in areas such as classified sales on
Drapers Record and Retail Week but we will talk to all the people
involved.’
Tim Brooks, divisional managing director of Healthcare, LGC and Finance
adds Emap Media to his responsibilities.
