The new managing director of The Independent, Andy Mullins, will carry out a major strategy review of the newspaper and its Sunday stablemate.
The review comes as, head of creative solutions at The Independent, departs the company after less than two months in the role.
Mullins, who is also MD of the London Evening Standard, was earlier this month.
The Independent titles were acquired by Russian businessman Lebedev in March, adding to the 75.1% stake he bought in the Evening Standard in January 2009.
The review will focus on the strategy of the newspapers: how the papers can sell more copies and increase revenues at the group.
It will not initially be a departmental review. But the findings of the strategy review could lead to an overhaul of its individual departments.
The disclosure of the review is likely to fuel speculation of a potential merging of commercial operations amid a tough newspaper advertising market.
The Standard has about 40 commercial staff while there are about 30 across the Independent titles, including display, magazines and related administration.
The advertising director of The Independent, Simon Davies, previously worked with Jon O'Donnell, advertising director of the Evening Standard, at the Standard where he was O'Donnell's boss.
One source said: "There will be a merger where there are obvious economies of scales between the two businesses."
In 2008, the newspaper and digital sales team of the Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday.
for its red tops, The Sun and The News of The World, with its quality brands, The Times and The Sunday Times.
Duckworth, a former Bauer commercial executive, was responsible for creative solutions and client sales at The Independent and joined in March this year.
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