FT makes leadership changes

The Financial Times announced a series of leadership changes in the newsroom and at FT Weekend.

After nearly seven years as FT Weekend editor, Alec Russell will move to the new role of foreign editor. Under his leadership, Russell launched FT Weekend festivals in London and Washington, and Globetrotter, the FT’s insider guides to cities. The FT Weekend newspaper has seen circulation increase by double digits in the past two years.

Janine Gibson will take over as FT Weekend editor. Gibson has played an instrumental role in the FT’s digital success since joining the FT in 2019, from the overhaul of the home page and the growth in visual and data journalism, and the launch of the FT Edit app. These changes take effect from 1 March 2023.

After four years as news editor, Matthew Garrahan has been appointed head of digital platforms and strategy and will write a biweekly column. Garrahan’s tenure leading the FT’s news coverage has spanned a tumultuous period which has included the Covid-19 pandemic, Donald Trump’s defeat in the 2018 presidential election and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Tom Braithwaite will become news editor, having been companies editor for the past four years, overseeing a strategic shift in coverage to high-impact and high-value stories.

Anne-Sylvaine Chassany has been appointed companies editor and an assistant editor. Chassany joined the FT as private equity correspondent more than a decade ago, before serving as Paris bureau chief and then world news editor. The three newsroom changes will take effect at the end of January 2023.

FT editor Roula Khalaf said: “These appointments are motivated by my conviction that change and innovation are crucial to our success. I’m deeply grateful to senior editors who are changing portfolios and look forward to drawing on their energy and expertise in their new roles.”