Irish Examiner editor Tim Vaughan is leaving the title after 15 years in the role. Mr Vaughan is joining the Cork-based software company Newsweaver as head of content and corporate communications.

Mr Vaughan described the move as a “great new challenge” and said he was “looking forward to being part of Newsweaver’s ambitious plans for expansion”.

He will take up his position at the company in October.

Tom Murphy, chief executive of Irish Examiner parent company Landmark Media Investments, informed staff of Mr Vaughan's departure this afternoon, according to Landmark's website BreakingNews.ie.

A recruitment process to replace Mr Vaughan will commence shortly, Mr Murphy indicated.

Newsweaver

Founded by chief executive Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Newsweaver specialises in developing software for the internal communications systems used by blue-chip multinationals.

It is an expanding company. In December 2015, it announced plans to grow the number of employees at its Cork headquarters from 80 to 140 over the next two years.

Its clients include Rolls-Royce, Vodafone, Kellogg’s, Experian and Aon Hewitt, and it also has offices in Boston.

Mr O’Shaughnessy said he was delighted that someone of Mr Vaughan’s calibre was joining Newsweaver.

"He is widely respected in the media industry, and has a great track record in agenda-setting journalism at the Irish Examiner. His knowledge, experience and skillset is a perfect fit for Newsweaver," he said.

Mr Vaughan began his career in the newspaper industry in 1987 and joined the Irish Examiner, then owned by Thomas Crosbie Holdings, in 1991.

He was appointed assistant editor in 1995, and was promoted to associate editor before succeeding Brian Looney as editor of the daily broadsheet title in 2001. He stayed with the newspaper after Thomas Crosbie Holdings collapsed in 2013.

The Irish Examiner had a circulation of 32,648 in the second half of 2015, according to figure from the Audit Bureau of Circulations.