Financial Times IT editor quits for City comms job

Tom Williams 24-Nov-05

Financial Times Digital Business editor Ben Hunt is to join Corfin Communications less than three months after leading the revamp of the City paper’s technology supplement.

Hunt, who has been editor of the FT's technology, media and telecoms pages since 1999 and who led September's relaunch of the IT pull-out, is to leave in February. He will join Corfin as a board director.

Corfin co-founder Harry Chathli said the agency would expand its board from three to four members to accommodate Hunt, who will have the option to buy equity in the firm.

Corfin's other board directors are Chathli, veteran financial journalist Neil Thapar and former Investec Henderson Crosthwaite corporate finance compliance review director Will David.

The FT said it was yet to find a replacement for Hunt but would appoint a new editor and press on with Digital Business.

News of his imminent departure follows the ousting two weeks ago of FT editor Andrew Gowers, who has been replaced by the paper's US managing editor, Lionel Barber.

Digital Business was one of several Gowers-backed changes to the FT's format designed to turn around flagging circulation.

The revamp of the IT section saw it focus more broadly 'on how global business people can make technology work for their business, the business of technology, and global developments in the IT and telecommunications industries'.