The Financial Times has appointed John Kundert as chief product and technology officer (CPTO). He will also join the FT Group Management Board from January.

Kundert has held key leadership roles in data, technology and product at the FT, playing a significant part in its transformation into a digital leader in the news media industry. Most recently, he was chief product officer and before that, chief technology officer. He succeeds Cait O’Riordan who left the FT in November after six years.

In the past 18 months, Kundert has played a central role in defining and overseeing the current subscriptions and growth agenda at the FT, bringing together multi-disciplinary teams to work together effectively. His appointment as CPTO will help sustain momentum in the FT’s digital evolution.

FT CEO John Ridding said: “We carried out a thorough search and process to recruit this mission-critical role. John stood out from a shortlist of exceptional candidates from a range of backgrounds, and will be an excellent leader of our product and technology teams.”

John Kundert, said: "I am delighted to be appointed to the role of CPTO and for the opportunity to work with all disciplines to realise the ambition in our product strategy. I have no doubt this next stage in our FT digital journey will be the most exciting yet."

In 2021 the FT reached record highs in readership and subscriptions, with a global print and digital circulation of 1.1m and reaching 26 million readers every month.

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For more information, please contact: Mark Staniland | mark.staniland@ft.com

About the Financial Times

The Financial Times is one of the world’s leading business news organisations, recognised internationally for its authority, integrity and accuracy. The FT has a record paying readership of more than one million, three-quarters of which are digital subscriptions. It is part of Nikkei Inc., which provides a broad range of information, news and services for the global business community.