FT names Spiegel its new U.S. managing editor

The Financial Times has appointed Peter Spiegel as U.S. managing editor.

He will start on April 15.

Spiegel assumes the role from Gillian Tett, who has served in the position from 2010-2012 and again since 2014. Tett has been named chair of the U.S. editorial board and America editor at large.

Both Spiegel and Tett will be based in New York.

As U.S. managing editor, Spiegel will take responsibility for the U.S. bureau network, lead on stories and deploy newsroom resources to help drive further expansion of the FT’s American subscriber base.

In her new role as America editor-at-large, Tett will continue to write her two weekly columns while helping to shape global editorial strategy. In addition, she will chair a newly created U.S. editorial board, develop global growth projects that build on her unique profile and expertise, and continue to represent the FT at events around the world.

“America is the land of opportunity for the FT,” said editor Lionel Barber in a statement. “Gillian Tett is a world-class journalist and intellect who has served with distinction as US managing editor. She has helped shape a US editorial team that is second to none. Peter Spiegel is an outstanding news editor whose dynamism and ability to innovate will ensure our quality journalism reaches its full potential readership in the U.S.”

Spiegel has been FT news editor for the past three years, based in London. During that time he has successfully transformed the FT’s publishing schedule and helped embed a culture of innovation across the newsroom: Spiegel was key to the Financial Times being named newspaper of the year at the 2018 British Press Awards.

He previously spent six years in Brussels as the FT’s bureau chief, leading coverage of the European economic crisis and Europe’s role in global affairs. In 2012 and 2013, Spiegel and his team won back-to-back Society of American Business Editors and Writers awards for their coverage of the eurozone debt crisis.

Earlier in his career, he worked at the Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times and Forbes.

Tett continues a distinguished career with the FT, where she has held positions including capital markets editor, deputy editor of the Lex column and Tokyo bureau chief.

Tett has published several award-winning books including the much acclaimed The Silo Effect. She has won Columnist of the Year (2014), Journalist of the Year (2009) and Business Journalist of the Year (2008) from the British Press Awards, and also won Foreign Commentator of the Year from Editorial Intelligence (2017) and a Society of American Business Editors and Writers Award (2012).