Brazier will leave tomorrow (27 April) after 12 years heading up the supplier trade association.

Chairman Roy Caslon thanked Brazier for his “outstanding commitment” to Picon and said that he would not be replaced.

“We can’t tell the full story at this stage… but it’s all to do with the ongoing restructure of Picon. We’ve decided we didn’t have it quite right and our services weren’t quite what the members wanted.”

Brazier’s departure comes a year after Picon sold Ipex to exhibitions organiser IIR, which also runs Northprint, for a speculated £10m.

Proskills’ decision to take on PrintIT! follows the appointment of ex-Picon business development
manager Paul Evans, chief organiser of PrintIT!, as the sector skills council’s markets project manager.

ProSkills and PrintIT! used this week’s Northprint to announce the deal and promote its school and print firm twinning initiative, a key part of its 2007/2008 schools competition which launched over Easter.