Features executive at Times to leave

John Montorio, Los Angeles Times managing editor for features, said Monday that he was stepping down at the request of the newspaper’s new editor in the latest shake-up of top management at The Times.

Montorio, 59, a seven-year veteran of The Times who was promoted to managing editor for features in July, said in a memo to his staff that Editor Russ Stanton wants to take coverage in a “different direction, with a new leader.”

Stanton, who was appointed editor Thursday, declined to comment, and he did not immediately name a successor.

“I think that every new editor has every right to come in and create their own team,” said Montorio, who was responsible for overseeing such sections as Calendar, Food, Health, Home, Highway 1, Image and The Guide. “It happens in presidential elections. It happens in editorships of newspapers. I absolutely respect Russ’ right to make that judgment.”

Stanton, a former Times business editor whose most recent job has been invigorating the paper’s website, replaced James O’Shea, who resigned Jan. 21 after a disagreement with Publisher David D. Hiller over budget cuts.

Montorio said he has had a “fantastic time” helping build The Times’ feature coverage, adding, “No matter where I end up, I’ll be rooting for this paper to succeed … and show that there is life in this medium.”

Montorio worked at the New York Times for 15 years before arriving in Los Angeles. He will continue at the paper through the end of the month.

kimi.yoshino@latimes.com