Jim Mullen returns to business by taking on Reach publishing

Following a one-year sabbatical, former Ladbrokes Coral CEO Jim Mullen has returned to the UK business scene by taking over London-listed news and publishing group Reach Plc.

Closing Monday trading, Reach governance confirmed that Mullen would replace outgoing leader Simon Fox who ends his CEO tenure on 16 August.

Reach is one of the UK’s largest publishing group’s servicing more than 240 regional/national papers, with flagship titles including The Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror, The Sunday People, Scottish Sunday Mail and Daily Record.

Jim Mullen stepped down as Ladbrokes Coral Group CEO in March 2018, having successfully negotiated the £4 billion sale of the FTSE gambling group to rivals GVC Holdings.

Since his departure, Mullen details that he has been ‘pivoting’ at Harvard Business School learning advanced management programs.

Mullen will maintain an attachment with the gambling industry, as he serves as an independent corporate advisor to UK racing broadcaster Racecourse Media Group (RMG).

Reacting to the appointment, Bloomberg detailed that Reach had hired a ‘deal maker’ CEO, pointing towards more consolidation for the UK publishing sector.

In 2018, Reach completed its acquisition of Northern & Shell, UK publishing assets including Daily Express, Sunday Express, Daily Star and OK!.