Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran

Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran has a rich history in journalism, beginning his career as an intern at The Economist and working his way up to Global Energy & CLimate Innovation Editor. He quickly rose to prominence, opening the magazine's first regional bureau in Mexico City and serving as a London-based Latin America correspondent. His accomplishments include serving as the China business editor & bureau chief from 2012 to mid-2017, during which he opened The Economist's Shanghai bureau. Apart from his editorial roles, Vaitheeswaran also held the position of chairman for The Economist's series of global conferences on innovation known as the Ideas Economy. His editorial expertise spans various topics, including climate change, energy and the environment, business, corporate governance, finance, international trade, geopolitics and economics, science, technology, and innovation.

As a published author, he notably wrote "Power to the People: How the Coming Energy Revolution Will Change Our Lives, and maybe even Save the Planet" in 2003. He followed this with a co-authored book in 2007 titled "ZOOM: The Global Race to Fuel the Car of the Future," which the Financial Times named as a Book of the Year. His latest book, published by Harper Collins and titled "Need, Speed, and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World’s Most Wicked Problems," has been translated into several languages, including Chinese.

Vaitheeswaran is more than just a journalist and author - he is also a respected expert in his field. He is an advisor on sustainability and innovation to the World Economic Forum at Davos and is a lifetime member of the Council on Foreign Relations. Additionally, he is a regular speaker at the Clinton Global Initiative and teaches at New York University’s Stern Business School. Vaitheeswaran is sought after for his insights, as he has addressed various prestigious groups ranging from the US National Governors’ Association and the UN General Assembly to the Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED), Aspen Ideas, and AAAS conferences.