The appointment follows the resignation of former head of HR Malcolm Vickers who left his post at the end of last year.
Gilliver, who has worked at Dell for the last 12 years leading the company’s EMEA ‘Full Potentail Change’ initiative and overseeing a number of departmental restructures, will take up his new position on 15 April 2013. He will report directly to chief executive Ashley Highfield.
Steve Gilliver said: "This is an exciting time to be joining Johnston Press. The programme of change which the business is undertaking is underpinned by a real dedication to equipping staff to achieve their potential, and I look forward to working together with the team to drive the key initiatives forward."
Highfield added: "We believe that ongoing staff development is central to the success of Johnston Press and I am sure that Steve’s knowledge and experience will help us to achieve our goals."
Gilliver’s appointment is the latest in a string of senior management changes to take place at Johnston Press in the past 12 months since Ashley Highfield stepped into the role of chief executive in November 2011.
Highfield instigated a senior level restructure in February 2012 which comprised the removal of a complete layer of management in order to create a "flatter and more agile" business. Additionally the compnay implemented a six-month pay freeze across the entire organisation.
A further restructuring announcement in December last year, along with the resignation of chief operating officer Danny Cammiade who will leave on March 31, will see the company’s regional publishing unit managing directors now reporting to group commercial director Neil Jones, and previous other direct reports of Cammiade reporting directly into Highfield.
The personnel musical chairs at Johnston Press was set against a major shake-up of its business operations in 2012, which saw the company initiate the phased relaunch of its 170 titles paid-for titles with a greater focus on digital integration.
