The Economist foreign editor Patrick Foulis, once considered a strong candidate to succeed Zanny Minton Beddoes, long-time editor-in-chief, has resigned, reports Lachlan Cartwright of Breaker.
Cartwright reports, “But we are told that Foulis walked because he was frustrated at the lack of clarity over a succession plan for the editorship. Minton Beddoes took over from John Micklethwait (now editor-in-chief at Bloomberg) in February 2015, which means she has stretched beyond the 10-year term usually reserved for Economist editors.
“A dominant figure, she has shown no signs of stepping away from a job that has enhanced her own and the Economist’s brand internationally. Foulis previously worked as an investment banker before joining the Financial Times as a writer on the ‘Lex’ column. He moved to the Economist in 2007, serving as the paper’s first Mumbai bureau chief. He later worked as New York bureau chief, ‘Schumpeter’ columnist, and business editor before ascending to foreign editor.
“Breaker has also learned that some journalists are less than impressed by his departure and there is now pressure on the board of trustees, headed by ex-Goldman Sachs banker Lord (Paul) Deighton, for greater clarity on succession planning. Foulis, Beddoes and a spokesperson for The Economist did not respond to a request for comment.”
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