Gillian Tett

Gillian Tett

Gillian Tett is a British journalist, author, and anthropologist known for her work at the Financial Times and her analysis of financial crises, risk management, and cultural factors in markets. She has written books and investigative pieces that connected cultural anthropology with Wall Street practices and regulatory failures surrounding the 2007–2008 financial crisis and credit default swaps. Tett has held editorial roles at the Financial Times and has been a fellow and commentator at institutions such as Harvard University and Cass Business School.

Early life and education

Tett was born in London, where she attended Bedales School and later studied at New Hall, Cambridge (now Murray Edwards College, Cambridge), reading Social Anthropology. She pursued postgraduate studies at Harvard University as a Frank Knox Memorial Fellow in the Department of Anthropology and completed fieldwork influencing her later interdisciplinary approach linking anthropology with financial markets and risk analysis.

Journalism career

Tett joined the Financial Times in the 1990s, rising through roles including reporter, US managing editor, and chair of the Editorial Board. She wrote for the paper’s US and London bureaus and served as the newspaper’s Washington, D.C. correspondent, covering intersections of politics, finance, and culture. Her investigative reporting connected practices at institutions such as Lehman Brothers, JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup to failures in risk management and oversight by regulators including the Federal Reserve, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Bank of England. Tett’s articles frequently analyzed instruments like collateralized debt obligations, mortgage-backed securities, and credit default swaps, and she engaged with debates involving figures such as Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, and Timothy Geithner. She has guest-lectured at Columbia University, served as a visiting fellow at Cambridge University, and appeared on platforms including BBC, CNN, and The New York Times discussions.

Contributions and impact

Tett pioneered integrating ethnographic methods into financial journalism, arguing that cultural norms within firms such as Merrill Lynch and AIG shaped decision-making around complex products like synthetic CDOs. Her books, including "Fool’s Gold" and "The Silo Effect", linked events at Barings Bank and episodes like the Long-Term Capital Management collapse to systemic issues explored in debates involving the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, and national treasuries. Tett’s work influenced policymakers and academics at institutions such as Harvard Kennedy School, London School of Economics, and the Institute for New Economic Thinking, prompting reforms in financial regulation and encouraging interdisciplinary research combining anthropology with finance and economic policy. She has been cited in analyses of post-crisis legislation like the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and in discussions involving central banks such as the European Central Bank and the Bank for International Settlements.

Awards and honors

Tett’s reporting has earned recognition including the George Polk Award, British journalism prizes from the British Press Awards, and scholarly fellowships at Harvard and Cambridge. She has been listed in rankings by publications such as Time (magazine) and Forbes for influence in finance and media. Academic and professional bodies including the Royal Society of Arts and think tanks like the Chatham House and the Brookings Institution have invited her to present and receive accolades for bridging journalism and scholarship.

Personal life

Tett is married with family ties to individuals in the City of London and maintains residences in New York City and London. She participates in advisory capacities for charitable and academic organizations including Nesta and several university advisory boards. Her personal interests include promoting interdisciplinary education linking humanities departments at institutions such as Oxford University and University College London with professional fields like investment banking and regulatory practice.

Category:British journalists Category:Alumni of Murray Edwards College, Cambridge Category:Financial Times people