Opanga Retires From the Standard Group

The Group Deputy Chairman and Strategy Adviser, Mr Paul Melly on Friday announced Opanga's retirement.

Melly paid great tribute to the man he described as "one of the best editors in Africa".

"The board would like to announce that having served this group for slightly under ten years, Opanga has decided not to renew his contract with the company," Melly said.

The Standard Group Editorial Director, Mr Kwendo Opanga with the Group Deputy Chairman and Strategy Adviser, Mr Paul Melly, on Friday. Melly announced that Opanga would retire in April. Picture: George Mulala

He said Opanga would continue working with the group in a consulting capacity. Opanga now assumes the newly created position of Technical Editorial Counterpart in Training and Coaching.

Melly said the new position is strategic and aimed at ensuring the group can nurture and develop talent of editors and the editorial team in general.

"In this capacity Opanga will be responsible for mentoring a new generation of journalists to help the Standard Group grow," he said.

Opanga assumes the position in a predetermined time frame initially for one year, but the contract is open for renewal.

Melly said the new position would be incorporated within the structure of the group as part of a commitment to invest and develop human resource.

Opanga has long experience in the media. He worked for the Nation Media Group and the Standard Group in various editorial capacities. In his career that spans 23 years, Opanga served in various capacities rising to the level of Group Editorial Director at the Standard Group.

Melly said: "During Opanga's tenure, the group had witnessed sustained progress in terms of editorial titles and the stature of KTN as a leading broadcaster."

The group's board also announced changes within its organisational structure, which will see certain positions merge.

Mr Paul Wanyagah, who has been the Group Chief Operating Officer, becomes the Group Managing Director.

Other changes made

Two Key positions have also been created at top management. They include the position of Finance and Commercial Service Director who will be in charge of providing strategic leadership for finance and commercial services.

The other position, which has been restructured, is that of Group Operations and Technical Services director, which Mr John Opiyo will occupy.

The position of Group Editorial Director shall remain in limbo and instead the Group Managing Editor will provide editorial leadership for print and broadcasting divisions.

At the assistant director level changes have also been made. Mr Sam Mutetei, who has been in charge of sales and distribution, gets an expanded role and will serve as assistant director in charge of production, sales and distribution services.

The position of assistant director technical and creative services has been created and will combine both roles of technical services of KTN as well as creative services.

In the financial and commercial services the group shall have a group financial controller and an assistant director commercial services.

The position of marketing and communication manager has also been created. Melly also announced that the group would outsource internal audit function, which shall be handled by an international firm, KPMG.

He said the changes were a strategy to ensure the group continues to attract, retain and motivate a highly professional team at all levels.

Melly said despite the changes, the group would maintain its editorial policy and continue to report boldly and fairly.

Opanga said: "Having been around in the media for a while I feel it is time to focus on other things."

He expressed his confidence that the editorial team would steer the group to greater heights."

Wanyagah commended Opanga and said the changes were geared at ensuring the group would survive in a world where consumer needs change regularly.