Dominic Ponsford
After a prodigious career writing about business,
award-winning Daily Telegraph City editor Neil Collins told
Pressgazette.co.uk why he has decided to move into the world of
commerce himself.
award-winning Daily Telegraph City editor Neil Collins told
Pressgazette.co.uk why he has decided to move into the world of
commerce himself.
Collins revealed that he had initially
volunteered for redundancy when the Telegraph sought to cut 90 jobs
earlier this year. But instead management offered him a pay rise and he
agreed to stay for another couple of years.
volunteered for redundancy when the Telegraph sought to cut 90 jobs
earlier this year. But instead management offered him a pay rise and he
agreed to stay for another couple of years.
He said the “catalyst” for him leaving the job he
started in 1986 was the the Daily Telegraph’s decision to move its
satellite City office from central London in to Canary Wharf.
started in 1986 was the the Daily Telegraph’s decision to move its
satellite City office from central London in to Canary Wharf.
In addition to writing two columns a week for the Standard, Collins said he is keen to get involved in other business ventures.
He said: “It’s nearly 20 years since joined and
I’m a great believer in leaving when they are begging you to stay
rather than waiting until they think ‘thank God he’s finally gone’.
I’m a great believer in leaving when they are begging you to stay
rather than waiting until they think ‘thank God he’s finally gone’.
“The job with the Standard will be basically
part-time and with no executive responsiblities. I should have two days
a week to do other non-journalistic things: it could be in private
equity or boutique investment banking.
part-time and with no executive responsiblities. I should have two days
a week to do other non-journalistic things: it could be in private
equity or boutique investment banking.
“It’s something that I’d very much like to do
because after spending my entire career writing about these things it
would be interesting to get involved.
because after spending my entire career writing about these things it
would be interesting to get involved.
“One of the advantages of working for Associated
Newspapers is it’s a very entrepreneurial company – it has a long track
record of backing ideas that it likes in publishing. That might lead to
something.”
Newspapers is it’s a very entrepreneurial company – it has a long track
record of backing ideas that it likes in publishing. That might lead to
something.”
Collins was City editor at the Evening Standard
from 1979 to 1984 before joining the Sunday Times in the same job and
then the Daily Telegraph.
He said that a career change was “something I’ve been thinking about
for a long time”.
from 1979 to 1984 before joining the Sunday Times in the same job and
then the Daily Telegraph.
He said that a career change was “something I’ve been thinking about
for a long time”.
He added: “This is a tough job and my work-life
balance consists basically of 12 hours working and two hours winding
down before I stumble into bed. You can’t do it indefinitely.”
balance consists basically of 12 hours working and two hours winding
down before I stumble into bed. You can’t do it indefinitely.”
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