Starting in the role with immediate effect, Barber succeeds 2017 president Baroness Brenda Dean, who died last month.
Since his appointment in 2005 as editor of the Financial Times, Barber has helped to transform the publication into a multi-channel news platform. During his tenure, the title has won numerous global awards for its journalism, including four Newspaper of the Year awards.
Barber has co-written several books and lectured widely on foreign policy, transatlantic relations, European security and monetary union in the US and Europe, and appears regularly on TV and radio around the world.
He has interviewed many of the world’s leaders in business and politics, including Donald Trump, Barack Obama and Angela Merkel, and received several awards, including the St George Society Medal of Honour for his contribution to journalism in the transatlantic community.
Barber said: “At a time when the print industry faces diverse and important challenges, The Printing Charity does crucial work in both protecting the industry's heritage and supporting its future.
“I am delighted to be involved with the charity as its president this year and look forward to meeting the many people who make the British print industry, which I have been a part of for almost 40 years, such a rich and varied business.”
Neil Lovell, chief executive of The Printing Charity, added: “Lionel Barber follows many distinguished charity presidents, including the late Baroness Dean, and will, I am sure, enjoy his involvement this year.
“The most important thing for us is that we have someone who is recognised as relevant within the industry and that they’ve got some time to give us.
“Ideally the one thing they will come to is our Annual Luncheon – and they are the speaker at that – and then we also invite them to visit our homes to see and talk to some of the residents, to come to the Print Futures Awards, and possibly our AGM as well.”
He added: “Lionel has got regional newspapers in his blood and I think he’s going to make a really interesting speech at the luncheon about his history – how the world is seen through the eyes of the editor of the FT will be really fascinating.
“Finding someone that can bring to life some of their own personal experience, how they started in the industry, how it’s changed, and how they see it in the future is really powerful and important for us to have in a president.”
