Gavin Hewitt – Keynote Speaker

Gavin Hewitt is a prominent writer and broadcaster. He was the BBC’s former Chief Correspondent and Europe Editor. Prior to this appointment, he was BBC News’ Europe Editor (2009-14). As one of the BBC’s most distinguished television journalists, he is widely acclaimed for his breadth of knowledge and expertise.

In 2016 Gavin Hewitt covered the Trump campaign and recently reported on American politics. He is currently finishing a book on myths and lies in politics. He has been the BBC’s Washington Correspondent on several occasions, and has made three films about President Bill Clinton, including All The President’s Women, and The Shaming Of The President. In 2003 he was one of three reporters to use David Kelly as a source for the BBC story claiming that the British Government had “sexed up” a dossier describing Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. He later gave evidence on the affair to the Hutton Inquiry.

Based in Brussels, Hewitt has covered the tensions between the EU and the UK and the Eurozone crisis since 2009. He has written three books including the ‘Lost Continent’ on the political and
economic crisis in Europe. Based in Brussels he covered the Eurozone crisis and the events leading up to Brexit.

In 2008 Gavin Hewitt covered the United States Presidential Election primaries and Democratic Nominee for President Barack Obama’s visit to the Middle East and Europe in the summer of 2008. Hewitt also covered Barack Obama’s campaign for President during the autumn of that year, broadcasting from Grant Park when Obama was elected the first African American President of the United States on Tuesday 4 November 2008 working with Senior Producer Ian Sherwood and Picture Correspondent Rob Magee He then also covered Obama’s Inauguration on 20 January 2009.

Hewitt has been a key journalist for many major world events:he was in East Berlin the night the Berlin Wall came down and in Moscow for the end of Soviet Communism and he has covered the attacks of 9/11 in New York. Moreover, he was embedded with the American Third Infantry for the war in Iraq.

Previously, Hewitt was presenter of the BBC’s flagship current affairs programme, Panorama. While working on the programme, he made the acclaimed film, Escape From Tiananmen, which broke the story of Operation Yellow Bird – the underground network used to smuggle student leaders and others out of China.

Gavin Hewitt’s work has also been recognised through many prestigious awards as has won a Bafta, a Royal Television Society award and an Emmy.