Justin Webb

He now interviews the great and the good and those making the day’s headlines – alongside John Humphrys, Jim Naughtie, Sarah Montague and Evan Davis. In the US Justin covered all the twists and turns of the Presidential election, making him ideally placed to assess how the recession-fighting administration measures up to the challenge.

As well as becoming a senior member of the White House press pack, he was the first British journalist to be granted a full television interview with President Obama. Justin previously reported from Brussels as the BBC’s European Correspondent. He has also covered elections in Australia, a coup in the Maldives and Mafia trials in Italy. And as well as various overseas postings, he has anchored Breakfast News and The World Tonight.

Justin Webb is an extremely assured conference chair and awards host, and a wonderfully engaging speaker. After dinner, he uncovers the truth about America and Americans (as in his books Have A Nice Day and Notes on Them and Us) – and has great fun demonstrating some of the differences in interviewing styles between ‘Old’ and ‘New World’ journalists.