Pete Clifton is a British journalist, media executive, and consultant, whose decades of experience have led to his establishment as a trusted figure in the field. Throughout his illustrious career, Pete has held roles at huge corporations such as PA Media, MSN UK, and BBC News and Sport. Due to his skills as a leader within the sector of digital transformation and journalism, Pete is highly sought after for sharing his experiences and knowledge through keynote speeches.
To start his career, Pete was a News and Sport reporter for the Northampton Chronicle and Echo, before serving as a Sports Journalist at the Exchange Telegraph national sports agency. It was in the early 1990s that Pete originally joined the Press Association (PA) as Chief Sports Sub-Editor and was later Editor of PA’s Teletext service. Following his initial time at PA, Pete worked for the BBC as the Editor of Ceefax and was pivotal as launch Editor of the BBC Sport website. During his 12 years at the BBC, Pete was also the Editor of the BBC News website and eventually Head of BBC News interactive.
Between 2015 and 2024, Pete served as Editor-in-Chief at PA Media. Within this role, he led a transformation of the national news agency into a digital-focussed, multi-platform news and information business - significantly improving the editorial output, systems and workflows. The company reported a 7% revenue increase in 2022, due in part to work done under his leadership. Pete’s contributions in his career did not go unrecognised, he recently received the prestigious Bob Satchwell Award for his service to the industry and defence of open justice.
As a speaker, Pete is highly regarded and sought-after for engagements. He has had first-hand experience in the world of media and has been at the forefront of huge positive change in the businesses he has worked for. With a proven ability to inspire, engage and amuse any audience, Pete is a true credit to any company that hires him.
Official Feedback from In-Person & Virtual Events:
"The morning after an event featuring Pete Clifton, his speech isn’t just remembered—it’s the headline everyone’s talking about. With a journalism career full of remarkable experiences, Pete’s stories are incredibly entertaining—sometimes hilariously indiscreet, other times thought-provoking, but always captivating. I’ve seen him speak at several events, and he has an extraordinary ability to hold a room in the palm of his hand. Pete’s anecdotes leave a lasting impression and make him a true highlight of any evening." - Dawn Alford, Executive Director, the Society of Editors
"Pete is a first-class speaker for any occasion, drawing upon his life experience from cub reporter to becoming Editor in Chief of the UK’s most trusted news agency. He has that rare quality of finding humour in almost everything he encounters and delivers his take on life with warmth, depth and credibility." - John Battle, Head of Legal and Compliance, ITN
"Pete is a great speaker he is always entertaining but also speaks from a great depth of experience gained over several decades in the media, working his way up from local papers to being Editor-in-chief at PA Media, which is the backbone of the UK media industry. There are few major stories in the past two decades that he hasn’t watched unfold from the heart of a busy newsroom. His anecdotes are witty and his insights fascinating, his delivery and analysis authentic and heartwarming." - Beany McLean, Director, Luther Pendragon
"Peter Clifton is one of the most respected leaders in journalism - a tour de force who has covered the major news events in the UK and across the world. At a time when misinformation is polluting so much of our discourse, Peter’s knowledge of the professional media sector and its development as a client and audience facing business is unsurpassed.” - Kamal Ahmed, Director of Audio, The Telegraph
- 2024 - Bob Satchwell Award recipient for journalism and open justice
- 2015 - Editor-in-Chief at PA Media leading digital transformation
- 2011 - Executive Producer for MSN UK overseeing major relaunch
- 2008 - Head of Editorial Development for Multi-Media Journalism at BBC News
- 2004 - Head of BBC News Interactive managing BBC News Online
- 2000 - Launched BBC Sport website establishing digital newsroom
- 1996 - Editor of Ceefax managing teletext editorial teams
- 1994 - Editor of Teletext at PA Media delivering key news services
- 1989 - Chief Sports Sub-Editor at Press Association managing coverage
- 1981 - Reporter and cricket correspondent at Northampton Chronicle and Echo
How to hire Pete Clifton
Contact the Champions Speakers Agency to provisionally enquire about hiring Pete Clifton for your next event, today. To get in touch, simply call an official booking agent on 0207 1010 553 or email us at [email protected] for more information.
** We do NOT accept requests for autographs, signed merchandise, fan mail, birthday messages or any other non-commercial contact with the speakers or acts. Each speaker on the website may not have necessarily worked with Champions in the past but are known to perform such engagements within the industry.
