Regional president for the UK and Ireland, Martin Fothergill (pictured), is to relocate to Melbourne to assume the role of group general manager for Merchanting Australia and New Zealand.

Fothergill replaces Roger Breen, who is stepping into a new role of executive general manager for merchanting.

In his new role, Fothergill, who has 30 years' experience in the paper merchanting business, will be responsible for all of PaperlinX's Australian and New Zealand paper merchanting businesses, which have total revenues of 430m (Aus$1bn), and employ 700 staff.

Fothergill, who takes up his new role on 1 November, will report directly to PaperlinX chief executive Tom Park.

Robert Horne managing director Toby Marchant will replace Fothergill in the position of regional president for the UK and Ireland.

Marchant has over 25 years' experience in paper merchanting and has led Robert Horne for the past eight years.

A spokesman for PaperlinX in Australia said the moves followed Breen's elevation into what essentially is a new role. "This obviously created vacancies that we were keen to fill from our talented pool of managers," said the spokesman.

Story by Andy Scott