Consumer >> CEO Interviews >> July 5, 1999
GARETH CLARK is a Chartered Accountant and Chairman of Southnews plc. In
March 1998, the company acquired the 28 newspaper titles that then
comprised the London and South East regional newspapers owned by United
News and Media plc for a consideration of L47.5 million. The portfolio
of titles complemented existing operations and the transaction has
established Southnews as the largest publisher in the Greater London
marketplace with over 60 newspapers. After graduating from Bradford
University with a degree in Applied Physics, Mr. Clark started his
accountancy career under Articles with Shipley Blackburn, London. He
joined the local newspaper industry as Finance Director of the South
London Guardian Group which, in 1983, became the first free newspaper
group to be floated on the London Stock Exchange. He subsequently led
the management buy-in of Southnews in 1986 and was appointed Chairman in
January 1989. Mr. Clark has been a councillor of the Newspaper Society
since 1994 and is a member on the Political, Employment and Regulatory
Affairs Committee. In 1997 he was appointed as one of three permanent
members on the Finance & Administrative Committee. Profile
TWST: Can you give us a bit of a background profile on Southnews, enoughinformation to put us into context, and tell us what you see as your
business and what you see as your company today?