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Reach Plc

UK media company with advertising, classifieds

Key Client Lead

Full-Time
No salary listed
Senior
London, UK
In PersonOffice-based role; candidates must be based in or able to commute to Canary Wharf.
Sales & Account ManagementAccount Management

About the job

Requirements
  • An established network of senior client, agency, and planner contacts, from C-suite leads to implementation teams across the UK media landscape.
  • Proven success driving revenue growth in competitive markets, with a strong understanding of commercial trading models, yield optimization, and pricing strategies.
  • Deep expertise in multi-channel solution selling across ad tech, first-party data platforms, social video, and print publishing; ideally supported by 5 or more years of UK media experience.
  • Ability to translate complex audience insights and data analytics into clear, persuasive commercial frameworks that address client business needs.
  • Strong presentation, negotiation, and C-suite influencing skills, with a passion for managing, developing, and inspiring high-performing commercial talent.
Responsibilities
  • Define and execute the long-term commercial strategy for Reach’s defined Tier 1 clients.
  • Build commercially advantageous relationships with agencies, clients, and their public relations and communications teams to maximize revenue opportunities and influence media spend toward Reach’s commercial objectives.
  • Develop comprehensive, long-term media strategies for Tier 1 clients, using category insights and product capabilities across data, social, video, affiliate, and print to achieve digital growth targets.
  • Build trusted relationships with C-suite and senior decision-makers across Tier 1 agencies, brand clients, and public relations and communications teams to support media planning and develop ongoing revenue streams.
  • Oversee pipeline management, annual forecasting and re-forecasting, and tracking of client engagement and revenue performance across the portfolio.
  • Deliver proactive presentations and thought-leadership sessions to the market.
  • Partner with the Agency Hub, Reach Studio, Strategic Planning, Trading, and Insight teams to execute full-funnel solutions.
  • Manage, mentor, and develop Agency Business Managers through structured KPIs, one-to-one meetings, and career pathing.
Desired Qualifications
  • Experience in UK media for 5 or more years is desirable.

About the company

Reach plc is a UK media company that operates a broad portfolio of brands across news, classifieds, and marketing. The company earns revenue from advertising, subscriptions, and classified listings, serving both individual consumers and businesses. Its products work by leveraging a large audience reach—covering about two-thirds of the UK adult population—to offer targeted advertising solutions and access to premium content through its digital platforms. Unlike many peers, Reach plc combines multiple media sectors (news, classifieds, marketing) under a single umbrella and uses its scale to deliver targeted campaigns and bundled content across its brands. The company aims to maintain leadership in the media and advertising market by expanding its digital presence, innovating its offerings, and continuing to grow its audience and advertiser relationships.

Company Size

1,001-5,000

Company Stage

IPO

Headquarters

London, United Kingdom

Founded

1832

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • Paid digital subscribers passed 50,000 in August 2026, proving willingness to pay.
  • Reach lifted revenue per thousand page views 49% in H1 2026.
  • Clive Whiley's September 2026 appointment signals sharper turnaround discipline for 2027 chairman succession.

What critics are saying

  • Google referrals fell 55% in H1 2026, crushing Reach's ad-funded traffic model.
  • Reach cut 220 editorial jobs on 16 September 2026 and closed KentLive, AberdeenLive, GalwayBeo.
  • If subscriptions stall below 75,000 in 2026, Reach keeps shrinking toward irrelevance.

What makes Reach Plc unique

  • Reach plc owns Mirror, Express, Star, Manchester Evening News, and Liverpool Echo.
  • Its 2026 board succession added turnaround veteran Clive Whiley on 21 September 2026.
  • Reach controls dominant local brands across Britain, giving advertisers national and regional scale.

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Benefits

  • Flexible Work Hours

Company News

Global Banking & Finance Review
Oct 13th, 2026
Daily Mirror publisher Reach hit by Google traffic slump.

Daily Mirror publisher Reach hit by Google traffic slump. Posted on October 13, 2026 · Last updated: October 13, 2026 Reach publisher hit by Google traffic slump and weak digital revenue in Q3. Reach faces challenges from digital revenue decline and industry disruption. Digital revenue and audience traffic pressures. Oct 13 (Reuters) - Daily Mirror publisher Reach said on Tuesday digital revenue remained under pressure in the third quarter, and that it remained cautious about the segment's full-year outlook as industry-wide disruption weighed on audience traffic from Google. Impact of AI and search engine changes. - News publishers are navigating falling print readership and weaker referral traffic from platforms such as Google amid the rise of AI chatbots. - Google's AI Overviews, which answer queries directly in search results, have drawn complaints from publishers over falling traffic and advertising revenue. Financial performance and market reaction. - Reach's revenue fell 14.1% in the quarter, with digital revenue down more than 20%. - Shares of the company fell as much as 4.3% to 44 pence in early trade, before paring losses and trading largely flat as of 0717 GMT. Company response and strategic moves. - The company said print advertising was supported by the FIFA World Cup, and off-platform revenues benefited from AI licensing agreements. - It is restructuring its business, including closing print sites, as it looks to reduce costs and offset pressure from declining print sales and weaker digital traffic. - Reach said it remains on track to deliver full-year results in line with market expectations. ($1 = 0.7561 pounds) (Reporting by Atharva Singh in Bengaluru) Key takeaways. * Reach's Q3 digital revenue plunged over 20%, contributing to a total revenue drop of 14.1%, driven by collapsing Google-referral traffic due to AI Overviews and AI-Mode features. * Industry-wide AI disruption: publishers globally report 30-50% declines in search referral traffic, with Google AI Overviews triggering up to ~42% drop in clicks, and click-through rates halving on AI summary results. * Reach is cutting print sites (Saltire, Watford), expanding AI-related licensing (e.g. Amazon AWS), digital subscriptions, and video to diversify revenue, while print ads got a boost from the FIFA World Cup. * Despite restructuring and cost cuts (including hundreds of editorial job reductions), Reach maintains full-year outlook aligned with market expectations. References. Frequently asked questions. Why did Reach experience a slump in Google traffic? How much did Reach's digital revenue fall in the third quarter? What measures is Reach taking to counter revenue pressure? How did Reach's share price react to the news? Did any factors help offset falling advertising revenue?

Reach plc
Oct 12th, 2026
Reach and Google announce News AI partnership.

Reach and Google announce News AI partnership. 12 Oct 2026 Today Reach announced a partnership with Google, granting Google access to enhanced content rights for news content across Reach's portfolio in the UK and Ireland. The partnership forms part of Google's news AI pilot programme, which enables experimental AI features and delivery methods for news content. Reach Chief Executive Piers North said: "Through our real-time reporting, on-the-ground local insight, and decades worth of archival material, our content represents something unique that readers still value in the age of AI. We are pleased to work with those companies who recognise this value, which will only become increasingly important as AI firms seek to differentiate themselves." Hayley Cochrane, Director, News Partnerships, UK and Northern Europe said: "We are thrilled to welcome Reach to our AI pilot programme for news - a commercial partnership where we pay for enhanced content rights, enable experimental AI features, and explore how AI can drive engaged audiences. We look forward to innovating together." For queries please contact the Reach and Google Press Offices: [email protected] and [email protected]. Notes to editors: About reach. Reach plc is Reach plc and Reach plc is proud to be the UK and Ireland's largest commercial news publisher. Reach plc connect with people on and offline, sharing its trusted content through 120+ brands, from household names like the Mirror, Express, Daily Record and Daily Star, to local titles like MyLondon, BelfastLive and the Manchester Evening News, plus its growing US brands like the Irish Star. Reach plc is in the communities Reach plc serve, Reach plc understand people's values and passions, and Reach plc reach people where they live - whether that's their neighbourhood newsstand, their social feed or their favourite app. That's why every month Reach plc reach 66% of the UK online population, 6% of the US population, and over 115m social followers around the world. About Google Google's mission is to organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful. Through products and platforms like Search, Maps, Gmail, Android, Google Play, Google Cloud, Chrome and YouTube, Google plays a meaningful role in the daily lives of billions of people and has become one of the most widely-known companies in the world. Google is a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.

Yahoo Finance
Sep 29th, 2026
Tory donor Lord Ashcroft buys $5.6M stake in struggling Mirror publisher Reach

Lord Ashcroft, the billionaire Conservative donor, has acquired a 3% stake in Reach, the publisher of the Mirror and Express newspapers, worth approximately £4.4 million. The investment, made through his Heather Venture Holdings, comes as Reach faces significant challenges with a market value below £150 million, down from a £5 billion peak in 2005. The publisher announced plans this month to cut 220 journalists whilst grappling with declining readership and a 55% drop in Google referrals. Reach reported a £45 million pre-tax loss and is shifting strategy from click-chasing to subscription-based revenues. Lord Ashcroft already owns media properties including Politics Home and Conservative Home. The company is currently seeking a new chairman.

HoldtheFrontPage.co.uk Limited
Sep 21st, 2026
Reach appoints new director as part of 'succession planning'

Reach appoints new director as part of 'succession planning' Media giant Reach plc has appointed a new non-executive director to its board as part of 'succession planning.' Clive Whiley will take up the role of independent non-executive director of the publisher with effect from today. Reach says the move forms part of the board's succession planning, with another non-exec, Olivia Streatfeild, due to step down at the end of the current financial year. Chairman Nick Prettejohn, pictured, will also be stepping down in early 2027 after nine years in the role. Clive brings with him over forty years' experience in director roles across a wide range of industries including Grand Harbour Marina plc and Stanley Gibbons Group plc. He currently serves as chair of STV plc and Mothercare plc and is senior independent director of MPAC Group plc and Griffin Mining Ltd. Commenting on the appointment Nick Prettejohn said: "The Board is delighted to welcome Clive Whiley whose proven expertise and successful track record as an effective non-executive director will bring valuable skills to our organisation and I look forward to working with him for the remainder of my tenure." Reach's board is made up of the chairman, six non-executive directors and two executive directors - chief executive Piers North and chief financial officer Darren Fisher.

KMFM
Sep 20th, 2026
Struggling Mirror publisher Reach lures turnaround veteran Whiley to board.

Struggling Mirror publisher Reach lures turnaround veteran Whiley to board. Sunday, 20 September 2026 15:17 By Mark Kleinman, city editor The struggling publisher of the Daily Mirror is turning to the boardroom veteran who oversaw the recovery and sale of banknote printer De La Rue as the media group battles to revive its fortunes Sky News has learnt that London-listed Reach will announce on Monday that it is appointing Clive Whiley as a non-executive director. City sources said Mr Whiley's appointment to Reach's board would put him squarely in the frame to become the company's next chairman. Reach has been searching for a successor to Nick Prettejohn, who has chaired it since 2018, for the last six months. A number of institutional investors are said to have been keen for Reach to recruit a heavyweight chair with significant turnaround experience as it battles accelerating declines in print and online circulations across its titles. "The company urgently needs a reset to tackle the challenges it is facing," said one shareholder source. A person close to Reach insisted no decision had been made about the next appointment of its chairman, despite Mr Whiley's credentials. Last week, Reach axed a further 220 editorial jobs, the latest in a series of bloodlettings at what for decades has ranked among Britain's most influential newspaper publishers. The company also said it would close its Kent Live and Aberdeen Live websites, which it said reflected its "market position" in those areas. Reach now has a market valuation of just £128m, having seen its shares slump by a further 38% over the last year. The owner of the Daily Express and Daily Star, Reach has seen its share of the national newspaper market slide over the last decade amid a lack of investment in the titles. It also publishes the Manchester Evening News and the Liverpool Echo. The company is now run by Piers North, who took over from Jim Mullen last year when he left to join The Jockey Club. After last week's job cuts, it employs more than 3,000 people, with about two-thirds of them involved in production and editorial roles. Mr Whiley has earned a reputation as a corporate turnaround expert, having overseen the break-up and sale of banknote printer De La Rue last year. He now chairs the Scottish television group STV as well as Mothercare, which warned last Friday that it was fighting for survival amid the impact of the Iran war on its franchise operations in the Middle East. Mr Whiley also sits on a number of other public company boards. Reach declined to comment on Sunday.