Jim Mullen steps down as CEO of Reach after six years

Jim Mullen has stepped down as chief executive of Reach with immediate effect after nearly six years in the role. He will be replaced by Piers North, the company’s chief revenue officer.

Mullen will stay on briefly for a handover before starting a new job on 1 June as group chief executive of The Jockey Club.

“I want to thank everyone at Reach for their hard work over these past nearly six years,” he said. “Together we have put the business in a stronger position, resolving important historical issues and making real progress on our digital growth, while continuing to deliver impactful journalism.”

He added that he would “continue to champion the importance of free-to-access news and the Daily Record football coverage from the sidelines”.

North joined Reach (then Trinity Mirror) in 2014 and has held senior roles including strategy director and group digital director. He became chief revenue officer in 2020. He previously spent nearly a decade at Yahoo!, rising to strategy director.

North said: “It’s a huge honour to lead Reach as we continue to serve essential journalism to our audiences and to move forward with our digital evolution. I look forward to working even more closely with all of the talented colleagues I have already been fortunate enough to work with over my 10 years here.”

Reach increased pre-tax profits by 6% to £102.3m in 2024, despite a 5% drop in total revenue to £538.6m. This month’s annual report confirmed that Mullen and other senior executives received bonuses for the first time in three years. Mullen’s salary rose 5% to £529,646 and his total pay for the year was £1.25m.