O'Reilly leaves W&H chair, Kiwi steps in

Australian-based media executive Cameron O'Reilly is scaling down his involvement in New Zealand printer and publisher Wilson & Horton Holdings.

Mr O'Reilly plans to remain a director of the company, but announced yesterday that deputy chairman John Maasland would be taking over the chairman's role.

The move will mean Wilson & Horton - publisher of the New Zealand Herald - will have a New Zealander in the top job for the first time since it was bought by Dublin-based media group Independent News & Media five years ago. Mr O'Reilly, also chairman and chief executive of the Independent group's Australian subsidiary, APN News & Media, took up the extra job just over a year ago, spending one week in four in New Zealand.

He has cited the appointment of former APN executive John Sanders as the new chief executive of Wilson & Horton as a reason for his move.

The company was trading well and it was therefore appropriate that a New Zealander should now chair the board, he said.

Mr Sanders said he did not believe the moves signalled any intention by the Irish-based company to sell the asset, or refloat any part of it.

Carter Holt Harvey chairman Sir Wilson Whineray will become deputy chairman of Wilson & Horton. - STAFF REPORTER