HELLO, I'M
James Ashton
Business Writer | Speaker | Trainer
Introduction
ABOUT ME
I’ve been a financial journalist for more than 20 years.
I write and speak about the economy, business, leadership and technology and also train people on how to present themselves in the media.
I was City Editor and Executive Editor at the Evening Standard and Independent titles and before that City Editor at the Sunday Times.
I’ve been lucky to have a front-row seat for many of the biggest economic and corporate stories of recent times. I write columns and interviews regularly as well as host my own podcast Leading with James Ashton.
Since I began working for myself, I’ve put the skills picked up from commentating, interviewing and managing in numerous newsrooms to good use in a number of ways.
This website is designed to pull together all of my activities and make it easy to contact me with work enquiries.
Writer and Consultant
PUTTING PEN TO PAPER
I help organisations tell their story better.
This could be by producing a media audit that analyses the effectiveness of their existing communications. How do they fare against their peer group? How much of their media relations effort is a waste time? How can they improve?
It could be by compiling a corporate narrative that sums up their overarching vision and values from reams of company literature and interviews with executives. What do they want to be famous for? What are the proof points they need to establish to back up their claims?
I have also been contracted to shape white papers, keynote speeches and website content, where it is vital to develop an argument, sift facts and hold the attention.
Here are some examples of projects that are in the public domain:
For Relx, the FTSE100 professional information provider, I put together a report that showcased how The Lancet, one of its best-known brands, has a key role in presenting breakthrough medical research but also shaping health policy in its own right. Read here
For London First, the capital’s business lobby group, I traced the political and economic story behind the creation of Crossrail, the £15bn east-west rail link that was decades in development. Read here
With Editorial Intelligence, for The Office Group I produced the Working Life report, a piece of research and analysis that explored how shared work spaces have changed Londoners’ approach to collaboration and productivity. Read here
Details of the two books I've published are here. My literary agent is Toby Mundy at Aevitas Creative.
Journalistic work by publication is listed here.
Speaker and Moderator
I LIKE TO TALK
I enjoy talking as much as writing.
Topics I can speak on include:
-
The changing media landscape: how the drive to digital has redrawn newsrooms, monetisation and the stories that get told today.
-
A macroeconomic overview: what is happening in the world right now?
-
Leadership, technology and disruption: what chief executives fear most, the cult of the changemaker and why public markets fail to incentivise risk taking.
-
Tomorrow’s cities: how corporations and municipal authorities must come together to capture talent and investment and tackle transport and housing challenges.
I regularly chair conferences and moderate panels and webinars. Assignments in the UK and abroad have included:
-
World Retail Congress
-
British Airways conference
-
Institute of Directors annual convention
-
CBI annual conference
-
Chatham House leadership one-on-ones
-
London mayoral business hustings
-
Tata Group staff conference
-
Campaign launches for Sopra Steria, EY, New West End Company
-
Milken Institute's London Summit
-
The Global Peter Drucker Forum.
I have put together some speaking highlights on this showreel and there are more examples of my event and video work on YouTube.
For enquiries about speaking engagements, please contact katy@thisisspoken.com.
Media Trainer
SHARING SKILLS
I train business leaders in how to present themselves in the media.
My sessions help someone to get across their message clearly and convincingly;
provide an overview of how the media landscape is changing;
suggest essential dos and don’ts to remember during an interview.
For print, broadcast and select committee appearances, I've trained:
-
FTSE100, FTSE250 and Euronext 100 leaders
-
Big Four partners
-
Pension trustees
-
Start-up entrepreneurs
I never interview for publication someone I have media trained!
Media Trainer
SHARING SKILLS
I train business leaders in how to present themselves in the media.
My sessions help someone to get across their message clearly and convincingly;
provide an overview of how the media landscape is changing;
suggest essential dos and don’ts to remember during an interview.
For print, broadcast and select committee appearances, I've trained:
-
FTSE100, FTSE250 and Euronext 100 leaders
-
Big Four partners
-
Pension trustees
-
Start-up entrepreneurs
I never interview for publication someone I have media trained!