Roger Alton, formerly the editor of The Observer, will on Thursday be appointed editor of The Independent, the Financial Times reported Thursday.

This change is being made as part of a rearrangement of management in an attempt to stem losses at the flagship newspaper owned by Anthony O'Reilly's Independent News & Media.

Simon Kellner, editor at the Independent for the past decade, is being promoted by Independent News & Media as managing director and editor-in-chief of the daily and Sunday Titles, according to the Financial Times.

Kellner will also be assigned with helping commercial and editorial departments work together more closely.