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Among those being made redundant are head of planning Neville Toptani; head of client direct retail Maxine Rose, who is the former head of press at Media Audits and Scotsman ad manager; Amanda Singleton; Lisa McManus; and Andrew Totman. In addition, the head of trading Michael Bell has resigned.

Yesterday, Brand Republic revealed that Associated Newspapers had poached Matthew Chambers from Premiership football club Charlton Athletic, where he is commercial director, as its brand controller.

Chambers is the former Marks & Spencer marketer who was behind the controversial "normal" campaign, which featured a naked size 16 woman. He departs Charlton after just over a year in the job. Chambers will take on the role of brand controller at the Evening Standard, reporting to Anderson.

His appointment comes less than a year after the newspaper's previous top marketer, Jane Hayman, was made redundant. She has since joined the women's fashion retailer Principles.

As well as those leaving, a number of other staff have been promoted. John Gill moves up from head of agency sales to head of client communications, and Stephen Lafferty, the former Hot Tickets brand manager and head of newsprint, takes over as head of trading.

Chambers will head up a new brand team which will see Michael Craig move up to become newspaper brand manager and Helen Sweeney takes on the role of brand champion for ES Magazine. Still to be appointed are a brand champion for Metro and a head of planning.

According to the Evening Standard, the shake-up is about a new approach to newspapers and newspaper branding.

The changes come as Anderson could face his toughest test since taking on the job in September, when he moved over from Metro, as Express Newspapers owner Richard Desmond threatens to launch a free London newspaper, dubbed the Evening Mail, to challenge the Standard.

Just a month after his arrival, Anderson appointed Alan Brydon, the former managing director of Tempus-owned media planning and buying agency CIA, to replace Mike Orlov as advertising sales director.

Anderson replaced Sally de la Bedoyere, who left after 15 years following rumours of a falling-out with the paper's editor Veronica Wadley, who has her own problems.

Since taking over as editor earlier this year, the Standard has failed to show a marked improvement in sales, despite her attempts to turn it into a more women-friendly product with an emphasis on lifestyle and entertainment news.

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