John Lawrenson

John Lawrenson belonged to a small group of young business executives, trained as journalists, who in the late 1950s and 1960s set about transforming Reuters Economic Services (hitherto called Comtelburo) into a modern financial news and information service using teleprinter distribution instead of telex or printed bulletins and emerging computer technology. Post-war liberalisation of world trade and gradual lifting of foreign exchange controls had stimulated demand in market centres for faster and more comprehensive financial, company and commodities news and price data.

After joining as a graduate trainee in 1954 Lawrenson spent four years as correspondent and manager in South East Asia, followed by assignments to Southern Africa and Latin America. In Buenos Aires he was involved with setting up the first Spanish-language news agency for Latin America (called Latin) in cooperation with major newspaper publishers in various countries.

From 1967 until his resignation in 1971 Lawrenson was European Manager of the rapidly expanding Reuters Economic Services. Equipped with a quirky sense of humour, he would every so often come up with rather unconventional approaches to solving business issues. ■