David Rennie

David Rennie is a prominent name in the world of journalism, currently working as a Geopolitics Editor at The Economist and being the founder of the newspaper’s The Telegram column. He has enjoyed a successful career spanning more than three decades and has become an authority in the world of complex geopolitics. As a speaker, David brings riveting insights on the geopolitics of the 21st century, the politics of modern China, and the media’s role in shaping global perceptions.

David’s journalism career began in 1992 at The Evening Standard, before moving to The Daily Telegraph in London in 1996. By 1998, he was on the foreign staff of The Daily Telegraph, posted to Sydney, and the following years saw him posted to Beijing, Washington DC, and Brussels, before becoming a contributing editor to Spectator Magazine (2006-2007). Next, he joined The Economist as a columnist (2007), soon becoming a British political editor and author of the Bagehot Column (2010-2012), then a Lexington columnist (2012-2017), followed by Washington Bureau Chief (2012-2017), and Beijing Bureau Chief (2018-2024), where he launched the Chaguan Column on China. David’s most recent role at The Economist is Geopolitics Editor.

Overall, David’s hard work and passion over the decades hasn’t gone unnoticed, with him receiving prestigious recognition such as the UACES/Thomson Reuters Reporting Europe Award (2010) and the Osborn Elliott Prize for Excellence in Journalism on Asia from The Asia Society (2023) alongside Sue-Lin Wong for their coverage in China. Furthermore, David is the co-host of a podcast called Drum Tower, and he has delivered lectures on geopolitics and EU affairs at universities internationally. David remains available to speak at events as an industry leader with a one-of-a-kind global outlook, his particular expertise surrounding China’s rise and its relationship with other countries across the world, in particular America and the west.