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Riz Khan        

Award-Winning International Journalist, Best-Selling Author; Renowned Television Host From Al Jazeera English, CNN International & BBC World

Riz Khan is a recognized face worldwide following extensive careers with the BBC and CNN prior to joining Al Jazeera English. In 2005, he was head-hunted by the Al Jazeera network to set-up its English-language channel and to host its flagship program, Riz Khana daily, live, interactive, topical show featuring the worlds top newsmakers. He also gained recognition for his flagship weekly profile show, Riz Khans One on One Show, featuring a diverse range of celebrities and guests from around the world. The shows have a good following on YouTube.

Khan runs an independent production company and works as an author, media consultant and moderator of high-profile international conferences. Clients and hosts include: Cisco, Standard Chartered Bank, several United Nations agencies, the World Bank, Clinton Global Initiative, St. Gallen Symposium and many more. In 2005, he authored his first book titled Alwaleed: Businessman, Billionaire, Prince, published by Harper Collins, becoming a long-running bestseller in the Middle East and translated into half-a-dozen languages. In 2012, Khan self-published his first fiction novel as an e-book on Amazon titled We Interrupt Our Programming, which is a comical take on the news industry. Proceeds from the sale of his novel support the organization The World Is Just a Book Away to build childrens libraries in underprivileged communities around the world.

Khans career as a journalist took off when he was accepted to the prestigious two-year BBC News Trainee program in 1987, putting him on a fast-track to work as a Presenter/Anchor & Reporter at the BBC. He was the networks first South Asian mainstream news presenter and launched BBC World Service Television News (later renamed BBC World) in October 1991co-hosting its very first show.

Khan was then head-hunted by CNN in 1993 for its own international channel where he became a Senior Anchor for the networks global news shows and special events, including the historic and award-winning live coverage of the Hajjthe annual pilgrimage of 3 million people to Mecca. In 1996, he launched his ground-breaking interactive interview show on CNN titled Q&A with Riz Khan. His 1,500-plus interviews at CNN included more world leaders than any other global news show at the time, including the UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, former US Presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, the Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela, to name just a few.

Born in 1962 in the British colony of Aden, Khan and his family moved to London when he was four, to escape the civil war that created South Yemen. He attended the University of Wales where he earned an honors degree in medical physiology and switched to journalism for his post-graduate studies. Currently, he resides in Washington, DC and travels extensively worldwide.

Speech Topics


Getting Your Story Out There

The media can be a friend or foe to business - depending on how it is engaged. In many cases, great stories get overlooked, while less engaging issues seem to dominate the airwaves and front pages. Understanding how the media works is a key factor in making sure a business or related issues not only survive but thrive. Having interviewed some of the leading global figures in the business world, Riz Khan has witnessed how managers can commit grave errors that can seriously affect their bottom line. Through examples of how big business has gone wrong - as well as its successes - Khan candidly explores the relationship between the journalist and the interviewee - and how that dynamic can change. It's a valuable insight looking behind the closed doors of the media.

The Real Impact of New Media

TV is dead! At least that what many people at the forefront of new media believe. The shift from linear, "appointment" viewing to on-line, on-demand, and mobile access of content has changed the dynamics of not only the entertainment business - but also the global news industry. Most of the leading networks have been incredibly slow in embracing the potential of the latest technology and trends, from social networking and crowd sourcing, to citizen journalism and new delivery systems. What does this mean for those who want information instantly, accurately, and globally? Riz Khan has watched the transforming landscape of news and offers an insightful perspective on where the traditional news business is missing key opportunities and losing "eyeballs". The survival of news as a reliable and impartial service is very much at stake.

Let the Expert Be the Expert - The Secret of Good Moderating

One of the most important components of a successful event is having an expert moderate the content and flow to create a truly dynamic, informative and enjoyable event. For almost two decades, Riz Khan has been a key component in making sure high-profile conferences and other events achieve their real potential. With seasoned experience as one of the world's leading journalists, he manages to moderate and MC events to an exceptionally high standard - allowing organizers to get the most out of their gathering. It's a skill that has put him in high demand on the international circuit.

Looking East to the New Economic and Political Powers

Some of the biggest development projects in the USA are being paid for by foreign money, while Europe struggles to hold together as an economic and political bloc. The West has gone hat-in-hand to the emerging Eastern powers, looking for financial support at a time of high debt and extreme economic duress. From Turkey to the Arab world, eyes are turning east for guidance on where the future stands. With more than two decades of travelling across the globe interviewing some of the leading names in politics and business, Riz Khan has witnessed the transformation of the global market place to where countries such as China and India hold the key to the door of the 21st Century. As the author of Alwaleed: Businessman, Billionaire, Prince (2005) Khan witnessed firsthand the business relationship between the USA and its largest individual investor - a Royal Saudi entrepreneur, sitting in on meetings between Prince Alwaleed and former U.S. Presidents, captains of industry such as Steve Jobs, and a host of leading Western figures. As outsourcing of jobs and a lack of opportunities dominates the America's ailing economy, Riz Khan examines where the West has gone wrong... and the real opportunities being missed.

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