ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Joyce Barnathan was president of the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) for 15 years, where she helped develop and oversee a wide variety of high-impact programs at the nexus of quality journalism and technology. She ensured that the organization was at the forefront of a changing media landscape. Under her leadership, ICFJ transformed how journalists tell compelling stories and engage audiences. The revenue at ICFJ more than quadrupled since she took over as president in mid-2006.

Previously, Barnathan served as the executive editor, Global Franchise, for BusinessWeek. She oversaw editorial content, managed product launches, created alliances, and ensured the integration of all BusinessWeek offerings across all channels. She was also assistant managing editor, responsible for the magazine’s Finance, Economics, Investor, and Lifestyle departments.

Prior to that, Barnathan completed a seven-year assignment as the Asia regional editor and Hong Kong bureau manager for BusinessWeek. In addition to her reporting and editing duties, she helped launch the magazine’s Asian edition and managed its growing network of correspondents and stringers throughout the region.

Barnathan came to BusinessWeek from Newsweek, where she served as State Department correspondent, Moscow Bureau Chief and Special Projects Correspondent covering presidential elections.

Barnathan holds a bachelor’s degree in Russian and Chinese studies and a master’s degree in Asian studies from Washington University, as well as a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri. She is the winner of five Overseas Press Club Awards, including three as part of BusinessWeek's Asia team, as well as the National Headliner Award. She was a trustee of the Arthur F. Burns Fellowships Program and served as chair of the Global Forum for Media Development.

Barnathan has three children and three grandchildren–and another grandson on the way. She is now working on a project about how her father, an ABC-TV executive, was instrumental in developing closed captioning on television for the deaf and hard of hearing–a technology we all benefit from today.