An announcement by WAN-Ifra does not make it clear whether he is retiring, wishing him well in “future endeavours”.

As chief executive of WAN to the July 2009 merger, he led the World Association of Newspapers from a publishers’ ‘club’ to a global force for the publishing industry worldwide. Membership grew from 23 to 122 countries during his tenure, and annual participation in events from 250 to more than 3000.

He also earned a reputation for defending and promoting press freedom world-wide. He greatly expanded WAN's research and commercial activities and was the architect of the World Newspaper Congress, the annual global meeting of the world's press.

A number of initiatives including the annual World Press Trends survey, the Shaping the Future of

the Newspaper project and the World Editors Forum were launched under his leadersjhip.

WAN-Ifra president Gavin O’Reilly says he is recognised as a leading advocate for the press worldwide: “His tireless and effective work has benefitted the entire industry in innumerable ways," he says. "He will be missed by all those who have worked with him over the years. We wish him well in his future endeavours."

Named director general, global affairs following the merger, he had worked in various positions since joining WAN in 1985.

The British former journalist worked for several UK newspapers including the ‘Oxford Mail’, and was a political correspondent for the Press Association news agency, before moving to France in the early 1980s.