Mike Darcey has today joined NI Group Ltd as Chief Executive Officer.

Formerly Chief Operating Officer at BSkyB, he takes over from departing CEO, Tom Mockridge, who recently left News Corporation after 22 successful years with the company.

Mike joined Sky in 1998 to establish and run Sky’s Strategic Planning Group, becoming a member of Sky’s Executive Board in 2002. He is also a non- executive director and Senior Independent Director of Home Retail Group (which owns the Argos and Homebase retail chains).

He brings a wealth of commercial, digital and leadership experience to NI after 15 years at one of the UK’s most successful media businesses.

Mike Darcey said: “I am hugely excited and feel privileged to be joining a company that is home to some of the world’s best known and most respected newspapers. In what has been a difficult year, NI Group Ltd has continued to lead from the front with quality journalism and innovation in new ways of delivering content. I have great admiration for the work carried out by Tom Mockridge during a difficult time and I look forward to guiding the business through the upcoming split and towards a long and successful future.”

Mr Darcey grew up in New Zealand and arrived in the UK more than 20 years ago. He studied Mathematics at Victoria University, Wellington, followed by a Masters degree in Economics at LSE.

For more information on this and any other NI Group Ltd news, please see the website: www.newsint.co.uk, or call Dan McMillan on: 020 7782 8000.