HEADLINE: A SHOCKING SHIFT at the FINANCIAL TIMES! Meet the New CEO Ready to REVOLUTIONIZE the Media World!
Buckle Up, Readers—A New Era is Upon Us!
In a jaw-dropping twist that’s shaking the media landscape to its core, the Financial Times has just appointed Jon Slade as its new chief executive! This marks the FIRST leadership switch in nearly TWO DECADES! Yes, you heard it right—John Ridding, who has been at the helm since 2006 and managed the jaw-dropping sale to Japanese media giant Nikkei, is passing the torch.
Nikkei’s high-powered chairman, Naotoshi Okada, made it crystal clear: Slade isn’t just a corporate pencil pusher—he’s got the leadership chops and commercial savvy to catapult the FT Group into a new dimension! Slade has been with the FT since 2014, overseeing a whopping THREE-QUARTERS of its annual revenue in his role as chief commercial officer. Talk about a powerhouse!
The Financial Times has already proven that it can rise from the ashes of a declining sector—under Slade’s watch, its advertising business surged back to life! But that’s not all—revenue and reader numbers have skyrocketed year after year for an entire DECADE!
Now at 51, Slade is set to spearhead the next thrilling chapter of digital growth for the FT amid the chaotic storm of artificial intelligence. Did you know that a staggering TWO-THIRDS of FT’s revenue comes from online subscriptions and ads? This man is on a mission to CASH IN on the digital frontier!
And here’s the kicker—Slade is no stranger to AI! The FT was among the FIRST in the world to shake hands with OpenAI to license its content for AI models, and he’s working round the clock with regulators to keep copyright laws on point.
Okada couldn’t contain his excitement, stating that Slade’s vast experience has opened his eyes to “rich territory for future growth.” In other words, this guy knows where the BIG MONEY is!
Slade himself is fired up, declaring, “There has rarely been a more consequential period for professional news media.” The landscape is shifting, and he’s ready to tackle every challenge head-on!
Before dominating the FT’s commercial sector, Slade held several pivotal roles within the group’s advertising division. He’s also led the explosive growth of the consulting branch, FT Strategies. No wonder the FT raked in a mind-boggling £540 million last year—up from just over £500 million in 2023! With a staggering audience of 2.9 million paying customers, including 1.5 million ONLINE and PRINT subscribers, plus clients of special events and publications, this is a media mogul on the rise!
Stay tuned, folks! This is just the beginning as Jon Slade prepares to take the Financial Times to unprecedented heights! Will he be the hero the media world desperately needs? Only time will tell!
photo credit: www.ft.com
