David Titmuss, the public face of Reader’s Digest, has left his role as chief executive “to pursue other interests” only weeks after the magazine was relaunched.
Titmuss joined the company in July 2010 but was promoted to chief executive six months ago. Since February 2008, he has also been a director of a Chester-based company called UberCwest, which offers interim cover and business development projects.
Over the past few months Titmuss has taken a highly active role in the DM industry, especially within the DMA. He recently launched Direct Marketing Partners, a new division designed to take on suppliers and agencies by providing an end-to-end solution for brands to promote their products.
At the time of its launch in January, Titmuss said: “With over 80 years of direct marketing experience selling our books, music CDs, DVDs, this new enterprise will allow some of the UK’s biggest brands with currently little experience of direct marketing, to take advantage our expertise.”
Vivat Direct has refused to comment on why Titmuss has left, only saying it would appoint a successor “in due course”.
In the interim the company is being led by senior management team of chairman Sean Cooper, chief operating office Carrie Hutchison and legal director Doug Nethery.
The circulation of Reader’s Digest is 433,353, according to ABC figures for July to December 2010. It rose 7.4% from the previous six-month period but fell 6.8% from the previous year.
