Harrison joined Antalis in 2001 as finance director and subsequently interim chief executive.

He was part of the five-man management team that took the company from a c£20m loss that year to a respectable profit in 2007. In that year Antalis' UK group turnover was £277m.

Harrison said: "Antalis has always provided me with a solid career experience and I will greatly miss the people there, and the world of print and paper generally."

He said he has no career plans at this stage.

There will now be only one regional finance director for UK, Ireland and France. Harrison's position will be taken up by Alain Gielnik, currently the finance director of France.

In June, French parent Sequana announced that Antalis would be "ultimately integrated" within Arjowiggins' fine and thin paper activities.

A year ago this month, Antalis' UK, Ireland & South Africa managing director Henry Cubbon also announced that he was to leave the company after nearly seven years in the role.

Cubbon said the decision was reached following Antalis' €382m (£258m) acquisition of paper merchant MAP, and the running of the now combined businesses in the UK.