John Plender has been a senior editorial writer and global commentator at the Financial Times since 1981. Plender was formerly financial editor of The Economist, where he remained until joining the UK Foreign Office policy planning staff in 1980. On leaving the Foreign Office, he became a writer and columnist... Read more
John Plender has been a senior editorial writer and global commentator at the Financial Times since 1981.
Plender was formerly financial editor of The Economist, where he remained until joining the UK Foreign Office policy planning staff in 1980. On leaving the Foreign Office, he became a writer and columnist at the Financial Times.
A past chairman of Pensions and Investment Research Consultants (Pirc), the UK shareholder activist and corporate governance consultancy, Plender served on the UK Government’s Company Law Review steering group which provided the groundwork for the Companies Act 2006. He joined the board of Quintain PLC as a non-executive director in 2002 and chaired the company from 2007-09. He is currently chairman of the Official Monetary and Financial Institutions Forum, as well as being a trustee of the £3.5bn Pearson Group Pension Fund.
Among a number of other roles, Plender is a member of the OECD/World Bank Private Sector Advisory Group on Corporate Governance and a member of the Advisory Council of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He was the winner of the Wincott Foundation senior prize for excellence in financial journalism. His books include Going Off The Rails – Global Capital And The Crisis Of Legitimacy (John Wiley), which anticipated the 2007-8 financial crisis, and Capitalism – Money, Morals and Markets (Biteback).
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You can book John Plender through London Speaker Bureau by submitting the enquiry form on this page or calling our team. One of our consultants will respond promptly with John's current availability, speaking fees and any specific requirements for your event.
John Plender's speaking fees depend on the event format (in-person or virtual), the location, the length of the engagement and the level of customisation required. Please contact London Speaker Bureau for an up-to-date fee quote for John tailored to your event.
John Plender speaks on a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. Talks can be shaped around your audience, industry and strategic objectives - share your event brief with London Speaker Bureau and we will work with John to align the content with your delegates and goals.
London Speaker Bureau can book John Plender for events worldwide, subject to John's schedule. Please send us your event date, location and format and we will confirm availability and handle travel and logistics on your behalf.
Virtual and hybrid keynotes are now a standard part of the speaking industry. Please contact London Speaker Bureau to confirm whether John Plender is available to deliver a virtual session for your event and on which platform (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, a bespoke studio or your own).
Most keynote speeches run between 45 and 60 minutes, often followed by a 15-30 minute Q&A. Other formats - shorter conference slots, panel appearances or longer workshop sessions - may also be possible. Share your agenda with London Speaker Bureau and we will confirm what John can accommodate.
London Speaker Bureau will brief John Plender on your audience profile, sector and objectives so the keynote can be shaped around your event. The level of customisation possible depends on the speaker and the lead time - contact us with your brief and we will confirm what John can offer.
John Plender delivers keynotes in English. This profile may not list every language available; ask London Speaker Bureau to confirm. If you require simultaneous interpretation or a multilingual format, please mention this in your enquiry and London Speaker Bureau will arrange it for you.
John Plender's areas of expertise include a range of business, leadership and industry subjects. To get a clear sense of John's style, credentials and how they engage an audience, please review the biography, popular talks and any videos or testimonials shown on this page, or request a detailed speaker brief from London Speaker Bureau.
John Plender can be booked through London Speaker Bureau for corporate conferences, leadership events, internal team meetings, association gatherings and private client engagements where expertise in a range of business, leadership and industry subjects is relevant. Details of John's background and previous engagements are included in the biography above; contact us if you would like a more detailed list of past clients or case studies.
Beyond keynote speeches, many of the speakers on our roster also take part in workshops, executive masterclasses, panel discussions and fireside chats. Contact London Speaker Bureau with your preferred format and we will confirm what John Plender is able to offer alongside or instead of a keynote.
We generally recommend enquiring at least three to twelve months in advance to secure your preferred date with John Plender, particularly during peak conference seasons. Where possible we also accommodate shorter lead times - please contact London Speaker Bureau to check John's current availability for your dates.