FT names US financial editor, US news editor

The Financial Times announced Tuesday new roles for two of its most senior New York-based journalists as part of ongoing plans to upgrade its coverage of Wall Street and expand its reach in the United States.

Gary Silverman, who has served as U.S. news editor for the past three years, will become U.S. financial editor, overseeing the growing FT teams in New York covering American capital markets and financial services.

David Crow, who led the newsroom’s coverage of the 2020 election as U.S. political editor, will take over from Silverman as U.S. news editor.

Silverman led the New York newsroom through the 2008 financial crisis and, before that, covered Wall Street’s biggest banks for both the FT as U.S. banking editor and for BusinessWeek magazine. Silverman won a Society of American Business and Writers and Editors award in 2014 for commentary, and in his new role will return to columnist duties as a regular contributor to the FT’s weekly “On Wall Street” feature.

Although Silverman has spent most of his career in New York, he has been posted to the FT’s London headquarters and worked as a reporter in Chicago, Washington, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong.

“There is no journalist on Wall Street who understands the intersection of finance, markets and the real economy better than Gary,” said Peter Spiegel, U.S. managing editor, in a statement. “I’m incredibly excited to have him leading the FT’s efforts to strengthen its position as the go-to source on global finance in the US. In addition to leading our New York troops, it will be great to have him writing again about the Masters of the Universe.”

Crow will be responsible for overseeing the FT’s American coverage on a day-to-day basis. Prior to becoming U.S. political news editor, he served as the FT’s banking editor in London and, before that, spent four years as senior U.S. business correspondent in New York, where he developed a special expertise in the pharmaceutical industry.

He is the recipient of the Biedler Prize for Cancer Journalism and received an honorable mention at the SABEW awards for his investigation into the opioid crisis and the Sackler family. In addition to running the FT’s coverage of the 2020 elections, Crow’s editing experience includes two years as page one editor in London.

“David has the trifecta: expertise in pharmaceuticals, finance and American politics,” said Spiegel. “I can’t think of three more important subjects David could have under his belt as he takes over the newsroom from Gary. His knowledge of the US healthcare scene has been invaluable throughout the pandemic. And if he can edit his way through the 2020 presidential campaign, he can edit his way through anything.”