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Roula Khalaf: her first week as the new FT editor

On Friday 17th January, Roula Khalaf had her first day on the job as the new editor of the Financial Times, succeeding Lionel Barber, who is stepping down after a 14-year editorial tenure that put the news organisation on a profitable footing even as its traditional print business was upended.

Mr Barber spent 35 years in total at the FT, leaving as he called it “the best job in journalism”, after he guided the publisher to over 1 million paying subscribers in 2019.

Ms Khalaf comes with a wealth of experience, having worked at the FT since 1995. Her career at the FT has included running the 100-strong network of foreign correspondents, and leading the FT’s Middle East coverage during the Iraq war and the Arab uprisings. She has held the FT’s second-most senior editorial post since 2011.

I am immensely honoured and excited to lead the FT forward: translating old-fashioned reporting and classic storytelling for the digital age.

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT

In his departure speech, Mr Barber said of Ms Khalaf: “she is fair, she is wise, and she is tough,” with Ms Khalaf, referring to her predecessor, noted “he leaves the FT as a truly digital publisher with more journalists on staff than when he took over in 2005. Few publications can match that achievement.”

What’s to come

As Roula said in her inaugural Editor’s Choice newsletter to subscribers, the next year and ten years “will bring more upheaval and disruption.” 

“This week we saw Vladimir Putin cement his hold on Russia, the US and China strike a fragile trade truce, and Australia still ravaged by the devastating effects of climate change,” she said, finishing with: “You can count on the FT to be your guide to this changing world.”

With the future looking uncertain, and industries and sectors subject to change and tweak at a moment’s notice, and to ensure you and your organisation are kept intelligent and in the loop, a trusted news source is vital. 

This week we saw Vladimir Putin cement his hold on Russia, the US and China strike a fragile trade truce, and Australia still ravaged by the devastating effects of climate change. You can count on the FT to be your guide to this changing world.

Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT

The Financial Times is on hand to assist with the most important business news and insights from around the world, and is an integral part of over 4,000 organisations’ daily routine.

Providing teams with in-depth market intelligence, well-sourced opinion pieces, and globally-recognised analysis columns, the FT is regarded as one of the most trusted sources of content for educating your workforce. 

Access to a source of high quality market intelligence has gone from being an executive benefit to a necessary education tool for all employees. Your team needs to be equipped with the same reliable insight and analysis to help them make better informed business decisions.

Reading the FT is the highlight of my morning. I regularly share articles with colleagues and use gift articles to send interesting pieces to external contacts.

Christo Geyer, Head of business development, Prudential Investment Managers

Roula Khalaf’s tenure as FT editor has officially begun, and if legacy is anything to go by, it will be a long and successful one. If you’re not one of the 4,000+ organisations with an FT Group Subscription, now is one of the best times to start.

An FT Group Subscription extracts the intelligence that’s relevant to your business and delivers it via the media and technologies that suit you best, saving you time and keeping you informed on what matters.

For more information about how the Financial Times can help your organisation or to request a free trial, please get in touch.

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