Mr Zwillenberg will step down as chief executive and board director of the Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) at the end of September after more than six years in the role. His departure follows a deal earlier this year that saw the media empire return to the control of Lord Rothermere, who will now take over as chairman and chief executive. In a memo to staff, Mr Zwillenberg said: “An inevitable consequence of the strategy we put in place six and a half years ago, if successful, was that I would put myself out of a job. “Now, with our companies leaders in their respective markets, with great teams in place and exciting opportunities ahead, I have decided the time is right for me to step down.” During his tenure, Mr. Zwillenberg oversaw a break-up of DMGT that refocused the business around its best-known tabloid newspaper. The group sold assets including financial information provider Euromoney and insurance business RMS, as well as its stake in property website Zoopla. Its ventures arm also invested in online car dealership Cazoo – a deal that gave investors a windfall and was used to fund part of the take-private deal. At the same time, DMGT strengthened its presence in news publications, buying titles such as i newspaper and New Scientist magazine.
