Making his first major mark on the business since his appointment in August this year, new chief executive Simon Fox said that the move would create a "flatter, more efficient management structure" to aide the company's long-term aim for a more streamlined publishing business, termed ‘One Trinity Mirror’.

The merger sees the immediate exit of regionals managing director Georgina Harvey and the departure at the end of October of corporate communications director Nick Fullagar.

Meanwhile Fox has promoted head of national newspapers Mark Hollinshead to the newly created role of chief operating office where he will oversee the merged publishing divisions, digital editorial content and monetisation. Hollinshead also gains a position on the board as an executive director.

The company said that as a result of the restructure digital product development and specialist digital businesses, including recruitment, property and digital marketing, as well as contract printing operations, would be managed separately and report directly to Fox.

Fullagar said that restructure would place greater focus on Trinity Mirror’s move towards a leaner model and shift to a digital strategy, which includes developing the publisher’s websites, mobile and tablet applications across both Apple and Android platforms.

He added: "This should not be seen as a strategy redirection, this is simply a management change to focus more on what we are currently doing. Digital will become an increasingly important part of the business but this does not make it more important than print."

Announcing the restructure to employees in an email, which has been published on the Guardian website, Fox said that it was increasingly clear that there was a "disconnect between what we all want and what our financial projections are showing".

He went on: "What we want is to deliver great journalism every day and to see circulation and advertising increasing. However what we are experiencing are continued circulation declines and even faster reductions in advertising revenues.

"What we all want is a clear, forward-looking strategy across our entire publishing operations, both print and digital, which builds on and develops our editorial strength."

Fox said the company’s digital operations management to date been a "largely scattergun approach" that had neglected the brands of its core newspapers.

He added: "What we want is an efficient operation where those closest to our readers and advertisers have the authority and autonomy to do what is best for each market. However, what I have observed are some decisions performed increasingly remotely. It is clear therefore that things need to change."