Economist announces leadership appointments

The Economist Group has announced the appointments of two senior leadership roles. Luke Bradley-Jones, Disney+ general manager of EMEA, has been named president and managing director of The Economist. Mr Bradley-Jones will continue to accelerate The Economist’s digital evolution. He will be based in London and will also have a significant presence in The Economist’s New York office. He will assume the role of president this summer.

Leon Saunders Calvert will serve as the new president and managing director of Economist Intelligence, the business information arm of The Economist Group. Mr Saunders Calvert will be based in London.

Mr Bradley-Jones is an experienced leader in the media and digital sectors with a demonstrated history of launching and scaling new products. He most recently served as general manager EMEA at Disney+, responsible for the roll-out of Disney+ across the region as well as the strategy, operations and commercial performance of Disney’s direct-to-consumer business. Prior to Disney, Mr Bradley-Jones spent eight years at Sky, where he led the transformation of Sky’s on-demand services and launched a range of products. In 2017 he assumed the role of chief marketing officer at Sky, responsible for marketing strategy across Sky’s TV, broadband and mobile businesses. Before Sky, he held leadership roles in digital, business development and strategy at BBC Worldwide.

Mr Saunders Calvert comes to Economist Intelligence from ESG Book, a fintech company focused on data, analytics and software, where he was partner and chief product officer. Prior to ESG Book, he spent 15 years at the London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG). Mr Saunders Calvert joined LSEG through the acquisition of Refinitiv, formerly the Financial & Risk business of Thomson Reuters, where he ran various business lines including investment banking and sustainable finance. He will assume his responsibilities in April.

Both Mr Bradley-Jones and Mr Saunders Calvert will report directly to Lara Boro, chief executive of The Economist Group. “I’m delighted to welcome these outstanding industry leaders to The Economist Group,” said Ms Boro. “Mr Bradley-Jones, an Economist aficionado and subscriber for 30 years, has the track record, vision and leadership ability to further The Economist’s audience growth and digital innovation. He knows how to create just the right products to reach global audiences on a variety of platforms. I couldn’t be happier to have him helm our core Economist business.”

Ms Boro added: “I’m also thrilled that Mr Saunders Calvert will be leading Economist Intelligence. His knowledge of data, analytics and software will help him lead the EIU team to create the most innovative client solutions.”

“The Economist is a brand I’ve respected and relied on for years,” said Mr Bradley-Jones. “I’m arriving at a moment when its commitment to well-balanced and incisive journalism is more important than ever before. It’s an honour to be tasked with identifying new ways to evolve The Economist into a digital-first product. I look forward to expanding its reach and impact.”