The Financial Times' headquarters in London | Getty Financial Times reshuffles senior editors First reshuffle of Nikkei era sees new deputy editor appointed.

LONDON — The Financial Times has appointed a new deputy editor in the first reshuffle of the newspaper's senior editorial ranks since it was taken over by Nikkei.

Roula Khalaf, the foreign editor, has been promoted to replace John Thornhill, who is moving into a new digital "innovation" role, the FT's editor Lionel Barber announced in an internal memo on New Year's Eve.

The newsroom is buzzing with talk of other senior moves. "More changes are to come," Barber said in the note, which was obtained by POLITICO Monday.

Khalaf, an experienced foreign correspondent who has spent years reporting on the Middle East, will take up her role on February 1. She will be the first female deputy editor at the newspaper since Chrystia Freeland, who is now Canada's minister of international trade.

Thornhill, who has served as deputy since 2012, becomes innovation editor. "John will lead our efforts to develop next generation digital comment and put technology at the heart of our editorial coverage," Barber wrote in the email to staff.

With Barber thought to be staying in the editor's chair for another year or so, the reshuffle is seen by newsroom insiders as an attempt by the newspaper's executives to keep a group of potential successors from getting too restless — and to promote more women.

"We need to adapt the leadership structure to acknowledge those charged with the most operational responsibility and to promote digital skills," Barber wrote. "I am fortunate to have around me some of the most able editorial managers I have known during my career in journalism. I intend to recognise this."

Paul Murphy, founder of the FT's Alphaville financial blog, and Brooke Masters, the companies editor, have been promoted to assistant editor as part of this reshuffle.

The FT confirmed the changes that have been announced internally, but would not comment on whether other senior figures are also in line to be moved. A public announcement is expected Tuesday.

Nikkei, the Japanese financial publisher, struck an £844 million deal to buy the FT from Pearson last summer. The deal was completed late last year. (Axel Springer, the co-owner of POLITICO's Europe edition, unsuccessfully bid for the company.)

One of Barber's first priorities under the new owners is to bolster the FT's online comment section. It hired Sebastian Payne, an online editor at the Spectator magazine and regular contributor to POLITICO Europe, to run the revamped section.

This article has been amended to reflect that Paul Murphy and Brooke Masters have been promoted to assistant, not associate, editor.