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Mirror Group has scrapped its product-based sales structure in favour of an approach derived from ad director Neil Hurman's background in TV planning and buying.

Hurman has scrapped the ad director and ad manager positions. The sales operation will now be spearheaded by three managers - a head of trading, head of operations and head of client services.

Gary Williams moves up from ad manager of The People to become head of trading. He will be responsible for major contract negotiations and optimising the group's inventory. Many TV sales operations employ someone in a similar role.

'We need to make sure we are charging the right price for the right space,' said Hurman. 'We also need to tighten our contract negotiations and take a global view.'

Dominic Carter, ex-group head at The Sun, becomes head of client services.

Mirror ad manager Sarah Kermode has been appointed head of operations and will be responsible for managing page make-up and maximising each issue's revenue.

Jane Candlish, who was sales director for the Sunday titles, becomes head of magazines. Hurman said this was an important position given the rumours that the News of the World is planning to launch a listings supplement and a celebrity magazine in February.

The number of agency sales teams is being to be expanded from three to four and each will be headed by an agency group manager. Each will act as a brand champion for one of the group's brands.

Existing group heads Liz Cotterill and Richard Wharton will take up two of the group manager positions. Mark Richardson, who has been promoted from senior sales executive, and Lindsay Wiles, who moves from being in charge of retail, will be the other group managers.

Peter Moore moves from head of Scottish national sales to head of business development sales.

The Scottish role has been folded into the agency teams' responsibilities.

Moore will be joined by agency head Fiona Fitzgibbon in an as yet undefined role.

There will also be a strategic business development function, made up of project teams containing staff from all areas of the department.