On Tuesday 23rd May, we were delighted to welcome to GSF, Tom Fletcher CMG, Principal of Hertford College, Oxford University, and previously the foreign policy adviser to three UK Prime Ministers (2007-2011); the UK’s Ambassador to Lebanon (2011-2015), and author of Ten Survival Skills For A World In Flux and The Ambassador.
He spoke in a joint GSF/Oxford Media Network event entitled ‘Surviving The 21st Century: A World In Flux’, which was chaired by Lord Lothian, GSF’s Chairman, and co-convened by Deborah Pout, Founder of the Oxford Media Network.
Drawing on the unique insights gained from his distinguished career in diplomacy and foreign policy, Tom gave us a fascinating hour on his assessment of global trends and future challenges; how we can rebuild trust in our governments and our institutions, and bridge growing global inequality to create a stronger international community; how globalisation and the impact of new technologies can bring us together, rather than drive us apart; and perhaps most important, how we can become better ancestors for future generations?
To watch again, please click here.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
TOM FLETCHER CMG is the Principal of Hertford College, Oxford University. He was previously the foreign policy adviser to three UK Prime Ministers (2007-2011) and the UK’s Ambassador to Lebanon (2011-2015). More recently he was a Visiting Professor at New York University (2015-2020), advised the Global Business Coalition for Education, and chaired the International Advisory Council of the Creative Industries Federation. In 2018 Tom founded The Foundation for Opportunity which supports good people doing good things in public life. He led a review of British diplomacy for the UK Foreign Office in 2016, and on the future of the United Nations for the UN Secretary General in 2017. In 2018, he authored a report on the skills the next generation need to thrive in the 21st century. Tom has published three books: The Naked Diplomat: Power And Politics In The Digital Age (Harper Collins, June 2016), Ten Survival Skills For A World In Flux (Harper Collins, February 2022) and The Ambassador (Canelo, August 2022). He lives in Oxford with Louise and their two sons Charlie and Theo.
DEBORAH POUT (Co-Covenor) is an analyst and communications consultant. She helps organise an International Media Awards on the Middle East. She founded the Oxford Media Network. She started her career on consumer affairs at Channel 5. She was a cover producer for David Chater, the Middle East Correspondent for Sky News in Jerusalem. Deborah was a freelance journalist/producer in Jerusalem for Sky News Australia and Singapore’s Channel News Asia. She was a Reuters Fellow at the University of Oxford and conducted research on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict interviewing many of the key players on the ground.