Chidley is special projects czar for Maclean's & Canadian Business

[This post has been updated]Canadian Business editor Joe Chidley (right) has been appointed to the position of editor and associate publisher, special projects unit, at Maclean's and Canadian Business magazines. The new position is effective immediately and Chidley will assume overall editorial responsibility for Maclean's university rankings and guide, as well as other important editorial projects at Maclean's and Canadian Business.

Steve Maich, the executive editor of Maclean's has been named editor and associate publisher of Canadian Business.

[Update: Not announced in the upbeat Rogers Publishing releases was the fact that at the same time the senior management changes were made, Canadian Business art director Tim Davin and Marc Reppin, the head of the CB website, were let go, [further update] as was Tony Keller, managing editor of special projects for Maclean's.]

Chidley, who pioneered the annual Canadian Business MBA guide and now will also oversee content for annual lists such as Canadian Business magazine's Investor 500 ranking and the Rich 100 ranking (colloquially called the "rich list" around CB).

Ken Whyte, the Vice-President and Publisher of Maclean's, Canadian Business, PROFIT, and MoneySense magazines, said in a release:

"I'm delighted Joe has accepted this promotion so that we can further employ his talents. In particular, his leadership will ensure the continued growth of Maclean's as the definitive Canadian voice on higher education."

"I'm looking forward to returning to Maclean's while still having the opportunity to continue working with my colleagues at Canadian Business," says Chidley. "Not only will I have the honour of shaping the voice of some of the most high-profile and respected education packages in the country, I'll be doing so at a publication where I spent the early years of my career in journalism."

In addition to publishing the very well-known and profitable university rankings and guidebook, Maclean's also unveiled its first-annual student survey issue in 2007 and the first professional schools issue last year. (The magazine also launched the OnCampus education channel at Macleans.ca.)

Chidley's appointment and that of Maich follow some major changes at Rogers consumer publishing, including the departure of longtime Canadian Business and Profit publisher Deborah Rosser in favour of Whyte's appointment last month to run not only Maclean's but also the company's three business magazines. Now he has put in place two senior editorial people to take some of the publishing load.