Global Head - Tech & Innovation

Who we are

We are an organisation that exists to drive progress. That's the “red thread” that connects everyone at The Economist Group (TEG). Our businesses share a devotion to innovation, independence and rigour in their fields of expertise. We empower people to understand and tackle the critical challenges and changes facing the world. Our analytical rigour, global expertise and evidence-based insights enable individuals and organisations to make sense of these shifts and chart a course through them.

We deliver analysis and insights in many formats to subscribers and clients in 170 countries through our four businesses, The Economist, Economist Impact, Economist Intelligence and Economist Education, which uphold our global reputation for excellence and integrity. 

The role

This is a senior leadership role within the Economist Enterprise Research & Analytics team. You will shape the editorial strategy and execution of our custom and subscription products across Technology & Innovation, with a strong emphasis on artificial intelligence and other frontier technologies (including quantum).

A core part of the role is to help build and steward Economist Enterprise’s - and, where relevant, EIU’s - authoritative “house view” on the most consequential technology questions facing business leaders, policymakers and wider society. This includes translating complex technological shifts into clear, evidence-based insights on the economy, labour markets, competitiveness and policy choices.

You will also lead and help evolve our Tech & Innovation initiatives (including our AI-focused work), ensuring they generate distinctive thought leadership, high-value client propositions and a visible external presence through events and media.

Responsibilities

• Set and drive editorial strategy for Technology & Innovation across Economist Enterprise research and content, ensuring consistent quality, rigour and alignment with our editorial and brand standards.
• Develop and steward our “house view” on frontier technology issues, in particular AI’s impact on the economy and society (e.g., labour markets, productivity, inequality, firm strategy and competitiveness), working closely with EIU colleagues as appropriate.
• Lead the Tech Frontiers initiative, shaping its intellectual direction, programme pipeline and external profile; ensuring it delivers sustained value for audiences, sponsors and partners over multiple years.
• Lead and develop a senior team of Principals and Content Leads, providing direction, coaching and quality assurance across complex programmes.
• Oversee delivery of sponsored and independent research and content that is high-quality, brand-reinforcing and outcome-oriented, while upholding editorial independence and governance.
• Lead subscription-facing coverage (including forecasting, benchmarking and analysis) that delivers clear value to EIU clients and strengthens our market proposition in Technology & Innovation.
• Shape flagship initiatives and research agendas in Tech & Innovation—ensuring a coherent pipeline of distinctive themes, methodologies and outputs (reports, indices/benchmarks, executive briefings, multimedia).
• Identify and develop strategic themes and propositions, translating emerging technology and policy developments into compelling research programmes and product opportunities.
• Partner with Sales and commercial teams to generate leads, support pitches and win business—bringing subject-matter authority, narrative clarity and client relevance.
• Represent Economist Enterprise externally at high-profile events and forums, including moderating/MCing and media commentary as required.
• Collaborate closely with the Events team to shape programming for major flagship events and bespoke client events related to Technology & Innovation.

Priority topic areas (indicative)

You will help define and evolve our coverage, but expected areas include:

• Artificial intelligence and the economy
  • AI and the labour market (job creation/displacement, skills transitions, wage polarisation, workforce strategy)
  • Productivity, growth and competitiveness (firm-level adoption, diffusion, barriers to scaling)
  • AI governance and “steering towards good” (safety, accountability, transparency, auditability, standards and regulation)
  • Geopolitics of AI (industrial policy, chips and compute, supply chains, national competitiveness)
  • Trust, information integrity and the social impacts of AI (mis/disinformation, public services, education)
• Frontier and “exponential” technologies
  • Quantum technologies (computing, communications, sensing; sectoral implications; timelines and constraints)