Thomas Jacob is to head a new WAN-Ifra Services division as the organisation moves to new waterfront offices in downtown Frankfurt.

The global group, which has more than 18,000 members, has sold the former Ifra headquarters in Darmstadt, Germany, which it has occupied since 1966. WAN-Ifra was created by the 2009 merger with the World Association of Newspapers, based in Paris, where the press freedom, innovation hub, advocacy and media development will continue to be based.

The new WAN-Ifra Services will deliver business and technology related services, moving in July to Frankfurt, which will also be the base for a new Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) team. This will be headed by Manfred Werfel who continues to lead print production initiatives, and will roll out Newsplex and Adplex training programmes.

In Paris two new departments – for innovation and for public affairs – will be led by Larry Kilman, who has been named secretary general. WAN-Ifra says he will overview activities of its not-for-profit advocacy branch, including press freedom, media development, news literacy, public affairs, innovation and future technologies as well as the World Editors Forum.

Chief executive Vincent Peyrègne says creating a focussed services entity will allow WAN-Ifra to consolidate good operating results recorded in 2013: “It will optimise our processes, have a key influence on the way we work in the future, and will allow us to deliver defined and value-driven activities and services across the board.”

He says the move to Frankfurt will put WAN-Ifra in the centre of an important international business hub, “providing an opportunity to revitalise the organisation”.

Chief operating officer Thomas Jacob says the new entity implements a “think global, act local” approach through its global services team comprising flagship events the World Publishing Expo and World Newspaper Congress, as well as publications, Insights, and consultancy services. “Our aim to develop the services division as the knowledge centre for the industry, by aggregating, curating and delivering knowledge and expertise needed to assist the industry in this transformation process,” he says.

Regional offices including Asia-Pacific in Singapore and South Asia based in Chennai, continue and WAN-Ifra plans a “formal presence” in Latin America by the end of the year.