King passed away on Tuesday (16 April) after a long battle with cancer.

He joined Haymarket in 2000 and had a major influence on the operation of the group's production and procurement teams. Prior to that he spent a decade at Reed Business Information.

Haymarket Media Group chief executive Kevin Costello paid tribute to King’s contribution to the business, and described him as "a very brave and honourable man".

"Chris was a tremendous asset to Haymarket and enormously respected by all his colleagues and clients. He made a huge contribution to the company, leading production and suppliers through challenging times and effecting much positive change in the business. The consummate professional who acted with integrity at all times."

Haymarket head of production Gary Charlton added: "I joined Haymarket at the same time as Chris and he had a big influence on my career, for which I will always remain very grateful."

"It is fair to say that Chris completely overhauled the production department and processes at Haymarket, and changed for the better how we engage with our suppliers. It was a pleasure to work with him. My memories of him will not only be of his professionalism and support, but also his optimism and courage. My thoughts are with his family at this sad time."

King was active in a number of PPA initiatives, and had been a member of its Environment Committee, the Production & Technology Committee, and the Postal Strategy Group. The association said: "He will be greatly missed by all who worked with him at the PPA."

Long-standing Haymarket print suppliers also paid tribute. Alec Samuels, managing director at Lynhurst Press, said: "He was a tough negotiator, but always fair and you could always trust him. I thought a lot of Chris and am absolutely choked at this news. We will miss him a lot, he was a genuinely nice bloke."

Paul Utting, chief executive at Wyndeham Group, added: "This is tragic news. Chris was the consummate professional, meticulous and very well-respected. I thoroughly enjoyed working with him."

King is survived by his wife Louise and their four sons.

Details of the funeral arrangements were unavailable at the time of writing.