David Mannion is Editor-in-Chief, ITV News, with editorial leadership of all national, international and regional news operations under the ITV News brand.

He is responsible for managing and developing ITV News at both national and regional level.

This includes both ITN's news production for ITV, which includes network news bulletins on ITV1 and ITV's regional news production units across the UK.

His primary objective will be to build on the structural relationships that exist between ITV News and ITN to ensure that the ITV News Group operates as a fully integrated unit, benefiting from maximum newsgathering and editorial co-operation.

The day-to-day production and editorial decision-making will continue to be the responsibility of the individual regional and ITV news centres.

David said: "ITV has made clear that it wants to place news at the heart of ITV plc, both in its national and regional news services.

"It's a great honour to be helping to deliver a better way of working for everyone involved in producing news on ITV, and even better news programmes for the viewers at home."

David was previously editor of ITV's award-winning current affairs flagship programme, Tonight with Trevor McDonald.

He began his career in journalism as a trainee reporter on the Long Eaton Advertiser.

He then moved to Raymonds News Agency in Derby before moving to Radio Trent, and then worked in the newsroom at Central Television.

He joined ITN in 1980 as a deputy news editor and in 1983 was made Programme Editor of News at One on ITV.

After four years with News at One, David was promoted to Deputy Editor of Channel 4 News.

In 1988 he was made Assistant Editor and the following year he was put in charge of ITN's role in the launch of Channel Four Daily, the channel's first breakfast service.

He then became Associate Editor of ITN before being promoted to Editor of ITV News in 1991, when he secured the first television interview with Nelson Mandela on his release from jail.

In 1995, he left ITN to form David Mannion Associates, a media consultancy, later DMA Media. He rejoined ITV News as Editor in 2002.