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The company revealed it was recruiting for the role seven months ago, when it set up a new digital unit, led in the interim by publishing director Matt Kelly.

Kelly took that role at the same time the unit was set up, u-turning his decision to leave his role as digital content director at Trinity Mirror to take the role of managing director of a new publishing division at Perform.

Kelly will report to Ellis, who will report to Mark Hollinshead, the managing director of Trinity Mirror's nationals division, which includes the Daily Mirror, the Sunday Mirror, The People, the Daily Record and the Sunday Mail.

The company's digital portfolio, which includes spin-offs and , reported an ABCe figure of 537,355 daily average browsers for the month of March, up 15% year on year but lagging the growth shown by other newspaper sites.

Ellis was previously senior vice president and managing director, international, at the games media network IGN Entertainment, which he is understood to have left earlier this year.

His previous positions include senior vice president and chief operating officer, Europe, at MySpace and senior positions at AOL and BT.

Hollinshead said: "Chris has a wealth of experience in the digital world and I am delighted he is joining the business to accelerate our progress and drive our digital ambitions."   

Digital at Trinity Mirror's regional division is led by digital commercial director Dan Raywood.

Last week Trinity Mirror reported that adjusted group advertising revenue (which excludes the uplift from its acquisition of GMG Regional Media last year) dropped 10% in the 17 week from the beginning of the year to the start of May; within that public sector advertising fell 47%.  

Ad revenue in its national newspaper division dropped by 9% in the period, with digital revenue falling by the same amount.

Ad revenue in Trinity Mirror's regional division fell by 10% with digital recruitment ad revenue increasing 6%. In an interim management statement, the publisher said the "fragile economic environment" and the "adverse effect" of public sector spending cuts and tax increases had contributed to a trading environment that remained challenging.

However, it was continuing to "drive efficiencies" by increasing its cost saving target by £5m to £15m for 2011.

Overall revenue increased by 8% for the period, Trinity Mirror said, reflecting the benefit of the acquisition of GMG Regional Media last year, with digital revenues increasing 10%.