Gillian Romaine Tett, a British journalist and author, has significantly impacted the world of finance. Her role as the US editor-at-large and chair of the editorial board at the Financial Times is a testament to her influence. Her essays, spanning various social, financial, and economic topics, reflect her deep knowledge and unique insights. Tett’s intellectual contribution to the Global Financial Crisis of 2007-2008 was profound. She reported on the financial instruments that played a role in the crisis, garnering substantial media attention. In October 2023, King’s College Cambridge appointed Gillian Tett as the provost, further acknowledging her contributions.
The life of Gillian Tett
Gillian Tett, Financial Times’ editorial board chair, was born on July 10, 1967. She attended the North London Collegiate School, an independent girls’ school in Edgware, Northwest London borough of Harrow, where she worked later on for a Pakistani nonprofit organization at age 17.
“Is Gillian Tett married?” is one of the most frequently asked questions. Gillian Tett was married to Michael J. Campbell but is currently divorced with two children. In the 2024 New Year’s Honours, Tett received the Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her contributions to economic journalism.
Gillian Tett later went to Clare College in Cambridge after she left school. There, she furthered her study in archaeology and anthropology before she earned a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1989. Later, she pursued a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Social Anthropology. She conducted fieldwork in the former Soviet Republic of Tajikistan. “Ambiguous Alliances: Marriage and Identity in a Muslim Village in Soviet Tajikistan” was the subject of her PhD dissertation. She left academic anthropology because she felt it was “intellectual suicide” and chose to become a journalist instead.
Gillian Tett’s Career Journey and Achievements
Gillian’s incredible and motivating career at the Financial Times began in 1993 when she joined as a stringer from the former Soviet Union and Europe. Her talent and dedication led to her being posted to Tokyo, where she became the bureau chief in 1997. Tett then became the US managing editor at the Financial Times before she worked as a columnist and assistant editor before returning to her position as the US managing editor.
Gillian Tett’s remarkable journey does not end here. From 2005-2007, she conducted ethnographic research on J.P. Morgan. In this American banking institution, she discovered the insular culture was giving rise to the creation of financial instruments that had minimal basis and could lead to severe economic disability. Her 2006-2007 Financial Times articles on securitization, financial derivatives, and credit rating agencies helped to understand the Global Financial Crisis.
Gillian Tett plays a compelling role in the 2010 documentary “Inside Job” about the financial crisis of 2008. She wrote a book in 2009 called “Fool’s Gold: How the Bold Dreams of a Small Tribe at J.P. Morgan Were Corrupted by Wall Street Greed and Unleashed a Catastrophe,” which was widely studied throughout the world and even won the Spear’s Book Award for the financial book of 2009. In October 2023, she became the provost of King’s College, Cambridge, after her election in February 2023.
