A Meeting With The Editor-In-Chief Of The Economist Magazine

     Yesterday I won the lottery, in a sense. I found myself in a Zoom meeting with the editor-in-chief of The Economist magazine, Susan "Zanny" Minton Beddoes. The Economist magazine started in 1843. In my opinion, it is one of the two best publications in the English-speaking world. (The other being The Financial Times of London.)

          Ms. Beddoes got her BA at Saint Hilda's College of Oxford University and her M.A. at Harvard. She joined The Economist magazine in 1994 as its emerging markets correspondent. She is the first woman to rise to the exalted position of editor-in-chief of this 177 year old publication.

          She is a pleasant surprise in every way. Despite her exalted position and power, she is humble and down to earth. She has a wonderful sense of humor. If you came to her office or had lunch with her, she would put you right at ease. She would listen to you carefully. Then she would amaze you with her knowledge of the world and what happens. She began her career as an economist. She was drawn to The Economist magazine. (The magazine has a philosophy of not hiring professional journalists. Rather, they hire specialists in various fields who can write well.)

      Ms. Beddoes has filled senior management positions with many highly-qualified women executives. It has become a company run by women. Its quality has not diminished.

       I had a wonderful time. I got a lot of mental stimulation. I learned a lot. Sometime in life one gets pleasant surprises that they were not expecting.