Lionel Barber

Lionel Barber is a journalist, author, and the former editor of the "Financial Times". His term as editor spanned from 2005 to 2020, during which he significantly contributed to the transformation of the FT into a successful multichannel news organization. The quality of journalism under Barber's editorship was recognized globally, earning the FT numerous awards including 'Newspaper of the Year' three times. Under his leadership, the "Financial Times" saw its paying readership more than double to 1.1 million, largely due to a digital expansion.

In addition to his journalistic work, Barber has authored several books including his memoirs titled "The Powerful and the Damned: Private Diaries in Turbulent Times", published in November 2020, and other notable works such as "The Price of Truth", a history of Reuters news agency. He has interviewed a wide array of global leaders including US Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and Russian President Vladimir Putin. His extensive interviewing history underscores his deep involvement in international affairs, particularly in areas such as foreign policy, transatlantic relations, European security, and monetary union.

Barber's career in journalism began in 1978 as a reporter for The Scotsman. By 1985, he had joined the "Financial Times" as a business reporter and held various significant positions including Washington correspondent, Brussels bureau chief, news editor, European editor, and US managing editor. His contributions to journalism have been recognized with several prestigious awards and honors, including the St George Society medal of honor, the Gerald Loeb Lifetime Achievement Award, and the French Ordre National de la Légion d'Honneur in 2016. He has also been actively involved in various educational and policy institutions, including serving on the board of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and previously as chairman of the Tate Galleries.

Barber graduated in 1978 from St Edmund Hall, Oxford University with a joint honors degree in German and Modern History. Fluent in French and German, he has established himself as a sought-after keynote speaker and commentator on geopolitics, technology, and business topics, regularly appearing on TV and radio globally. He has also moderated at prestigious conferences such as Davos and the Aspen Ideas Festival, further solidifying his role as an influential figure in global journalism and public discourse.