Alec Russell is the Foreign Editor of the Financial Times. He was previously Editor of FTWeekend after a career as a foreign correspondent covering the Balkan wars, the Gulf War, the end of apartheid and Nelson Mandela’s presidency, and politics in Washington DC. He has written three books and won many awards.

Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala became the Director-General of the World Trade Organization (WTO) on March 1, 2021, bringing over four decades of expertise as a global finance expert and economist. Her distinguished career includes two terms as Nigeria's Finance Minister (2003-2006 and 2011-2015), during which she spearheaded significant reforms, including the cancellation of $18 billion of Nigeria's debt by the Paris Club of Creditors. She also served for 25 years at the World Bank, rising to Managing Director, Operations, overseeing an $81 billion portfolio and leading initiatives to support low-income countries. A skilled negotiator and trusted consensus builder, Dr Okonjo-Iweala has consistently been named among the Top 100 Most Powerful Women in the World by Forbes.