Teresa-Anne Dunleavy stepped into the top job at the Leicester-headquartered print and communications group on 20 May. Her first role in print, she was previously UK chief executive of entertainment and events company PRG and has 20-years experience of working in the marcomms sector.

Lockwood has become a non-executive director of the business.

Dunleavy was selected as his successor partly due to her specialism in working with companies undergoing significant structural and cultural change.

She said: “I choose to work for organisations where I feel I can make a real difference. In Taylor Bloxham I saw a company that could draw from my experience in driving top line growth; something I did for a long time in various marcomms roles for some of the world’s leading brands.

“Added to this is my experience in helping companies through change, so while driving top line growth I also have a keen eye on the commercial levers needed to deliver sustainable profitability.

“Taylor Bloxham has all the foundations and its diversification strategy was well thought through. Now it needs someone with the right levels of energy and experience to drive it to the next level.”

Dunleavy’s first priorities as chief are to consolidate what the group already has, which has led to some structural changes including the departure of print managing director Malcolm Lane-Ley at the end of the week.

Print sales will now report to sales manager Andy Thompson, account management to commercial manager Andy Sewell and production to head of production Jamie Towers. All three now report directly to Dunleavy.

Lockwood had served as chief executive for Taylor Bloxham since the departure of Chris Bowen in May 2016, stepping up from the position of financial director. He is “doing very well now”, according to Dunleavy, and had reportedly been looking to step back around this time to spend time with his family before his ill health.

With a technology portfolio taking in print machinery from Koenig & Bauer, Heidelberg and HP, as well as pre-press and finishing, the Taylor Bloxham group is made up of four divisions – the main Taylor Bloxham printing wing, storage and fulfilment wing FastAnt, POS provider Instore and direct mail division Mailbox.

Served by 200 employees, the total group turnover is £32m.