Manfred Pagel - very astute and direct

Manfred was very astute and quick to spot the downside for Editorial of regionalisation in the early 1980s, when Reuters got rich on the back of going public. 

New regions were being created with editorial reporting to the new regional managers instead of editors back in London. Manfred feared loss of control of the news product by the editorial bosses, and he was right.

He was also very direct and realistic. “It is very difficult to learn a new language after you are 30,” he told me frankly as I was pitching for a new job in a place where I didn’t speak the language.” He was right, again. ■