Business

Auton out in Time Inc. exec shakeup

Shakeups may already be underway at Time Inc. in advance of Ann Moore’s exit and Jack Griffin’s arrival from Meredith as the new CEO next month.

Sylvia Auton, a controversial executive vice president in charge of the Time Inc. lifestyle group that includes Real Simple and Southern Living, will be going home to London by year end, The Post has learned.

The company confirmed to The Post that Auton will be returning to head up the IPC unit as its CEO and the news could be announced as early as today.

Evelyn Webster, who was running IPC in London will flip-flop jobs and come to New York City as the new CEO of the Lifestyle Group.

Auton was brought to the New York headquarters by Moore two years ago and given dominion over Real Simple and the Birmingham, Ala.-based division formerly known as Southern Progress Corp.

But she was said to have made few friends here. She clashed with Time Inc. Editor-in-Chief John Huey and with many subordinates and slashed costs and staff in the once profitable Southern Progress unit, which she visited only occasionally.

Auton also rankled the American Society of Magazine Editors when she ran a Wal-Mart advertorial that the ASME board felt violated its guidelines that separate editorial and advertising. An official letter of reprimand is said to be in the works.