FT names Masters its chief business commentator

The Financial Times announced Monday that Brooke Masters is appointed chief business commentator, effective January 2021.

Masters will analyze and critique the changing corporate world..

Since 2018 Masters has served as opinion and analysis editor, overseeing the FT’s own columnists and commissioning opinion pieces from a range of outside contributors. Her responsibilities also include the popular Work & Careers and Big Read sections.

As opinion editor, Masters has worked hard to increase the range of voices represented in the FT, seeking out pieces that reflect a broader spectrum of ideas and perspectives. She led the rebrand of the page from ‘comment’ to ‘opinion,’ rewriting the guidelines for submissions to attract a more diverse pool of outside writers.

“Brooke is an outstanding journalist with fiery opinions and excellent judgment,” said FT editor Roula Khalaf in a statement. “She has transformed our opinion pages and I look forward to seeing what she will do as chief business commentator, one of the most important roles serving our global business audience as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.”

Masters joined the FT in 2006 and has held a number of roles, including companies editor from 2013 to 2018, during which time she joined the team of assistant editors. Prior to this, Masters served as FT’s chief regulation correspondent, working with reporters around the world to cover global financial regulation and white-collar crime cases. Before that she covered banking, stockbroking and asset management as city correspondent after a stint as a Lex column writer and senior business reporter in New York.

Former chief business commentator John Gapper returns to London after a secondment as editor-at-large of the Nikkei Asian Review in Tokyo.