Edgecliffe-Johnson named FT’s U.S. biz editor

Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, most recently the FT’s U.S. news editor, has taken on the role of U.S. business editor, a new position.

Edgecliffe-Johnson will lead the reporting and analysis of how American companies are responding to the challenges of competition, rapid technological change, shifting corporate governance standards and the policy upheavals created by the Trump administration.

In his 20 years at the FT, Edgecliffe-Johnson has served as FT’s deputy news editor, global media editor, covered mergers and acquisitions, overseen management features and written for the influential Lex column.

Gary Silverman has been re-appointed to U.S. news editor, a role he had previously held for seven years from 2006 until 2013, leading U.S. coverage of the financial crisis. Silverman will be responsible for coordinating the FT’s daily Americas news coverage based in New York.

Silverman joined the FT in 1999 and has since served as London-based marketing correspondent, US banking editor, US news editor and most recently, US national editor.

Silverman was awarded the Society of American Business Editors and Writers (SABEW) ‘Best in Business’ prize for best newspaper commentary in 2014.

James Fontanella-Khan has been appointed U.S. corporate finance and deals editor as part of a broader strategy to deepen the FT’s global M&A coverage.

Fontanella-Khan is the co-creator of Due Diligence, the FT’s premium daily briefing on corporate finance, mergers & acquisitions. Prior to his role as US M&A correspondent, Fontanella-Khan worked on Lex and as a correspondent in Brussels, New Delhi and Mumbai. He started his career at the FT in London on the news desk in 2005.

“We have tremendous talent at the FT and the passion, expertise and experience of Gary, Andrew and James are unmatched,” said U.S. managing editor Gillian Tett in a statement. “These appointments are all well deserved and I am excited to see where this new iteration of the New York bureau takes us.”

Other US moves include:

Lilah Raptopoulos, FT community editor, will be moving her job to the New York office to add to the growing digital expertise of the New York newsroom.

Peter Wells has joined the US FastFT team, leaving his position as Tokyo correspondent where he covered the automobile industry, technology, and industrial goods.

Aleissa Bleyl has recently joined the FT from the University of Missouri School of Journalism to work alongside Jake Grovum in the quickly growing social media team.

Mark Vandevelde has been appointed private capital correspondent in New York.

Kadhim Shubber is appointed U.S. legal and enforcement correspondent in Washington DC.