Describing himself as an “accidental journalist”, John joined the FT in 1989. In the three decades since, he’s led six editorial teams around the world – including Asia and Europe – and was Moscow correspondent in 1994 following the collapse of the Soviet Union. He became Innovation Editor in 2016, where he has widened the publication’s coverage of AI and emerging technologies and created an innovation of his own: Sifted, the first FT-backed media startup, which reports on the vibrant European tech startup scene and how it “does things differently” from Silicon Valley culture.Sifted focuses on underrepresented tech entrepreneurs, showing the tough reality of running a startup, and “gives them a voice in the European debate”. John shares his concerns with the rapid advancement of deepfakes and AI, which make telling the difference between truth and lies almost impossible – which he ultimately sees as an opportunity, forcing consumers to do their due diligence.