Times Mirror Co. Names New Times President, CEO

Kathryn M. Downing, head of Times Mirror Co.’s legal and medical publishing unit, will become president and chief executive officer of the Los Angeles Times, Times Mirror announced Thursday.

Downing, 44, will fill the jobs currently held by Donald F. Wright when Times Mirror completes previously announced plans to dispose of its legal and medical publishing unit, Mosby Matthew Bender. That disposition is expected no later than the summer. Wright, 63, will become The Times’ chairman, a new position.

Downing and Wright also were named executive vice presidents of Times Mirror, the Los Angeles-based parent of The Times and other newspapers, magazines and professional information companies.

In addition, Times Mirror announced the appointment of three other executive vice presidents, two senior vice presidents and two vice presidents.

“This group of executives reflects our continuing commitment to growth, quality journalism and editorial excellence which will carry us forward,” said Mark H. Willes, Times Mirror chairman, president and chief executive officer, and publisher of the Los Angeles Times.

The other new executive vice presidents are:

* Horst A. Bergmann, 59, who has been senior vice president and serves as president and chief executive officer of Times Mirror’s Jeppesen Sanderson and AchieveGlobal units.

* Mary E. Junck, 50, who has been senior vice president and serves as president of Times Mirror’s Eastern newspapers, and oversees Times Mirror Magazines and Apartment Search. She also will oversee StayWell, Times Mirror’s consumer health information provider.

* Tom Unterman, 53, who has been senior vice president, serves as chief financial officer, and oversees Times Mirror Resource Management Co.

Wright, who has been a senior vice president, took on the newly created positions of president and CEO of The Times late last year. Wright said one of his top priorities has been “to help with the transition to the next generation of leadership at the newspaper.”

Willes described Downing as “a superb leader and business executive whose broad experience and leadership skills can help us continue to grow our newspaper.”

Times Mirror said in November that it had hired Goldman, Sachs & Co. to help it evaluate a variety of alternatives for New York-based Mosby Matthew Bender, including a sale to a third party, a spinoff to shareholders and swaps for other strategic assets. Times Mirror said Mosby Matthew Bender is profitable.

Times Mirror also appointed as senior vice presidents:

* Raymond A. Jansen, 58, publisher, president and chief executive officer of the company’s Newsday newspaper. Jansen also will oversee Times Mirror’s (Stamford) Advocate and Greenwich Time newspapers in Connecticut.

* Efrem Zimbalist III, 50, president and chief executive officer, Times Mirror Magazines. In addition to his current responsibilities, Zimbalist will oversee The (Allentown, Pa.) Morning Call.

The company also announced that Los Angeles Times senior vice presidents Robert N. Brisco, 35, and Jeffrey S. Klein, 44, have been promoted to vice presidents of Times Mirror, in addition to their current responsibilities.

Downing joined Times Mirror in 1995 as president and chief executive of Matthew Bender. She was named president and chief executive of the combined companies of Matthew Bender and Mosby Inc. last year.