Sutherland, currently editorial director of Ignite! music brands, including NME and Uncut, has been promoted to the same position but across the whole portfolio of Ignite! titles, which also include Nuts and Loaded.
He joins the IPC Ignite! board from August 1 and will report to managing director Tim Brooks.
Sutherland joined IPC in 1981 and was editor of NME from 1992 to 2000. Brooks said: "He will have a key role, working with the editors, publishing directors and myself, to ensure that all our magazines, not just the music titles, continue to lead their markets."
IPC has also promoted Rob Biddulph, art director of NME, to the role of art director of all the Ignite! music titles.
Biddulph scooped the PPA Designer of the Year award last year for spearheading the redesign of NME. Marc Jones, associate art editor, will fill his position.
Neil Robinson, publishing director of the Ignite! music titles, said: "These moves represent a significant investment in excellent design across our music titles."
Publishing roles are also changing within the Ignite! team. Andrew Sumner, currently publisher of Loaded and Nuts, swaps Nuts for Uncut. Tammi Iley, associate publisher of NME and Uncut, relinquishes Uncut and adds Nuts to her responsibilities
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