What was your first job as a journalist?
Working as a business news writer for a news agency
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I used typewriters, telex, acoustic couplers (primitive modem going over a 1kbps data line), fax and reading my stories to a copy taker.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
A journalist who write obituaries in a Carl Hiaasen novel.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
Having an enquiring mind and asking questions, being determined to get to the bottom of a story.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
I do not want ever to be pitched on stories. I never respond to pitches and delete them from my inbox
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
same as all modern journalists
Why did you become a journalist?
I wanted to be a foreign correspondent aged 14 as I read the foreign news in the Guardian. I ended up as a banking journalist
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
I wrote a piece on data centers' energy consumption for American Banker.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
Read as much high-quality journalism in your field as you can. A degree in English or modern languages is useful as it teaches you to write.
When's the best time to pitch you?
never
What's your favorite drink?
Water
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Playing the piano or violin
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Guardian always
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
People think that financial services is boring. Actually, it is fascinating.
