Burke left Banner last September, four months after it was acquired by Adare. She had been with the business for 17 years.

She has now joined Mansfield-headquartered Linney Group as a director, becoming the first woman to sit on the group’s executive board in the process.

The appointment forms part of Linney Group’s long-term succession planning.

“Catherine brings a wealth of experience in manufacturing and managed services, and she understands our culture and business direction,” said Linney Group managing director Miles Linney. “We’ve admired her work over the years, and I believe she’s an excellent fit for the business. It’s exciting to have her on board.”

PrintWeek understands that Burke had a number of potential job offers after leaving Banner. She said the Linney opportunity stood out because of the culture at the business.

“The moment I walked into Linney, I was struck by how helpful, friendly and honest everyone was. They don’t just talk the talk, every single person who works at Linney lives these values, and that was a huge part of the decision for me,” said Burke, who also praised the firm’s knowhow in creative services and the management of digital screens for its clients.

“I’ve never seen anything like it in our industry, and I’m inspired by the potential of the business going forward. It’s an exciting time to join, and I cannot wait to get involved,” she added.

Linney Group had sales of £84.5m last year and employs around 780 staff. Its operations span litho and digital print, wide-format, design, data, and managed services.

:: Miles Linney will speak about 'the art of diversification' as part of the conference programme at the upcoming PrintWeekLive! event on 8-9 March. To register to attend visit www.printweeklive.com.