STEVE Magnall, who was appointed deputy managing director of Greene King’s brewing operation at the start of this year, is to leave the Bury St Edmunds-based company, it has been revealed.

Mr Magnall, who has been with Greene King for more than eight years, is to become managing director at Daniel Thwaites, the brewing and pubs company based at Blackburn in Lancashire.

He was appointed to his current role in January following the merger of Greene King’s brewing operation in Bury and its Belhaven brewery at Dunbar in Scotland.

The reorganisation saw Euan Venters, previously managing director at Belhaven, take on the same role across the combined operation and Justin Adams, who previously headed the Bury brewing operation, leave the group.

Mr Magnall, who has an MBA degree, joined Greene King in August 2003 as operations director for the Bury brewing business, a role he held until the reorganisation.

Much of his earlier career was spent in the food sector, including spells as operations director at G’s Marketing, operations director at John Rannoch Foods and regional manager for Grampian Country Foods.

In his new role, which is due to commence by the end of April 2012, Mr Magnall will be responsible for leading the development and operations of Danial Thwaite’s brewing arm, the Thwaites Beer Co, which is in discussions with Blackburn and Darwen councils over plans to relocate to a new brewery.

Thwaites’ chief executive Richard Bailey said: of the appointment: “I am delighted that we have been able to attract Steve into the company and he has much to offer us as we develop our business.”