The event brought together 400 guests from business, finance, politics and media.
In a room that was scented with Baobab candles, the crowd enjoyed Moët champagne and canapés underneath the towering triple vaulted ceiling. Guests left with with goody bags that included a custom FT branded Ettinger wallet, mini Moët and Chandon champagne, Green & Black’s chocolates, Luxury Restaurant Guide memberships, and an advance copy of the FT Weekend Magazine.
In his remarks, Lionel Barber said, “I’m here tonight to reassure you that every day, around the clock, the FT will continue to report without fear or favour, with a global perspective, along with our new partners at Nikkei. There’s never been a greater need for a trusted partner in troubled times.
“In a time of uncertainty, there is a flight to quality. In recent days, we’ve seen record traffic on FT.com, but these times are about more than commercial success. We need to think carefully about the future of our country.”
Guests included: Madhav Chinnappa, Head of Strategic Relations, News & Publishers, Google; HE Ambassador Nicola Clase, Ambassador of Sweden to the UK; Nick Clegg, Former Deputy Prime Minister; Tom Cooper, Chairman of Global M&A, Deutsche Bank; Lord Meghnad Desai, British peer, House of Lords; Stephanie Flanders, Chief Market Strategist, JP Morgan; David Gauke MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury; Des Gunewardena, CEO and Chairman, D&D London; Paddy Harverson, Co-Founder, Milltown Partners; Sir Bernard Hogan-Howe, Metropolitan Police Commissioner, New Scotland Yard; David Jackson, Company Secretary, BP; Rt Hon Sajid Javid, Secretary of State for the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills; Sir Nicholas Macpherson, Visiting Professor, King’s College London (Former Permanent Secretary, HM Treasury); Nicola Mendelsohn, VP, Facebook; Ivan Menezes, Chief Executive, Diageo Plc; Tom Mockridge, CEO, Virgin Media; Dr Dambisa Moyo, Economist and Author; Andrew Neil, Presenter, Daily Politics; Kathryn Parsons, Founder, Decoded; Jeremy Paxman, Contributor, Financial Times; Craig Sams, President, Green and Blacks; Simon Schama CBE, Historian; Roslyn Shaw, Managing Director, The Alpha Grid; Joanna Shields, Chairwoman, Tech City UK; Jon Snow, Anchor, Channel 4 News; Rt Hon Baroness Stowell of Beeston MBE, Leader of the House of Lords; Lord Andrew Turnbull, Life Peer; Andrea Wong, President of International Production, Sony Pictures Entertainment, Alan Yentob, TV Producer and Presenter.
For pictures of the event, visit the FT’s flickr page.
