Fairfax Media has appointed experienced journalist Mark Forbes as the new editor-in-chief of The Age and Sunday Age.
Mr Forbes was previously news director at The Age for three years and prior to that was editor of the Sunday Age.
He replaces Andrew Holden, who stepped down in February after being at the helm of Fairfax's Melbourne flagship since 2012.
Editorial director Sean Aylmer said Mr Forbes was the ideal person to continue The Age's "transformation".
"Mark is an outstanding journalist, with a keen news sense and belief in quality reporting," Mr Aylmer said in a statement on Friday.
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Mr Forbes has won awards for his political, investigative and foreign reporting and has also worked with Channel Seven and the ABC.
Mr Holden's departure had sparked speculation that the Melbourne masthead might be run from Sydney by Sydney Morning Herald editor in chief Darren Goodsir.
Fairfax Media announced in March that it will cut 120 editorial jobs from newsrooms in Sydney and Melbourne to reduce costs.
The cuts will affect the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and The Australian Financial Review.
Fairfax shares closed down three cents at 83 cents on Friday.
