John there wasnt a single moment. I think it was a progressive process that i have said all along, and has been important to me, to ask ourselves honestly are we the best owners of the Financial Times for the longer term. Pearson have been fantastic owners for 50 years. We have been great guardians of the editorial integrity and quality of the journalism, but we also helped the ft to become global, to make the initial shift from analog to digital. But Inflection Point is a greatly overused word, but in this case i think it is entirely relevant and appropriate. Because increasingly we are now seeing more and more people accessing news analysis, journalism through social media, through twitter and facebook and all sorts of emerging channels and were seeing more people making the shift from desktop to mobile. That is a huge opportunity for the Financial Times. It can reach its journalism to more people than ever before in its history. But it is a great challenge as well, because it means it has to remake and rethink how it makes itself in this journalism. That requires absolute attention and focus. I think it requires scale as well. The ft is a 300 Million Pound journalism business in a 5 billion pounds education business. It was going to be increasingly difficult not to much from an investment point. Investment we could have dealt with. But to bring the focus, the clarity, additional insight and expertise, and the scale that is required by that focus on being the very best of journalism. Francine it is difficult to make money because of social media. It is becoming harder . John the ft does make money. As everybody knows, it was a lush year in profits. Last year profits of 24 Million Pounds on sales of 300 Million Pounds. I believe the ft has a sustainable and profitable future, but the best way of ensuring it can maximize that is by being part of a company that is completely and actually focus on journalism. That is what nikkei brings. Ive been in the business of global journalism, it is a great thing to be in. Being in the business of global education, likewise, important to the future of the world and a great opportunity to grow but those are two quite different horses, and you cannot ride them both simultaneously. Francine was there any moment in the negotiations where you thought actually, it is such a great brand we shouldnt be letting it go . John personally, a hugely difficult decision for me. When i joined pearson in 1997, its ownership of the ft was one of the things that attracted me. Ironically, the synergy between the ft and the rest of pearson are greater now than any time since 1987 in all the time i have been with pearson. They can be achieved through partnership, and one of the ways we got to know nikkei was through the partnership we formed with them about english language teaching in japan over the last few years. So personally, emotionally, a difficult decision for me, difficult decision for the board. Not one we took lightly. It was a year or more of deliberate process of making sure we evaluated work through the different factors. One that was taken after extensive consultation, engaging the leadership of the ft as well and unmistakably reaching this conclusion that this is a time when journalism is being rethought and reinvented, and my job was to get ft the best crack edit emerging from that in better shape than ever before. Francine the final contract with nikkei, i dont know if you get lawyers involved, but you preserve the independence of the ft . John my view is that what is most important is to find the right owner. You judge the right owner in terms of the culture, the values, the leadership and the track record. Everyone would acknowledge pearson has been a good owner of the Financial Times. There is not a word set down anywhere. There is no governance. There is no constitutional pack. There is no structure. When i took over from a predecessor there was no document that says it is there because it is an innate part of the culture. When we were thinking about the best future owner of the ft, that was the way that we approached it. You can put in place any sort of document or constitutional arrangement but frankly i think culture matters more. I do think there is that real commitment to editorial independence. I think they value the ft. There was a letter sent to ft staff, a public document, it sets out far more clearly than any sort of Constitutional Working Party could. Francine coming up, education, digital content, and technology are drivers shaping the pearson business. John technology is much more about how do you make the teaching and learning much more effective, engaging. Francine back with more on that exclusive conversation with pearson ceo john fallon. Francine the Publishing Industry had been impacted by the rapid growth of digital technologies. John fallon tells me exclusively how he adapted the business to thrive in this everchanging environment. John in education, technology is much more about how do you make the teaching and learning much more effective, engaging, how you provide greater insights. Lets take starbucks employee who has sat down, and they get stuck on a problem. Are there adaptive programs, perhaps it will make it easier to build their confidence of up, help them through with the problems they are doing online. If they are finding it easy to do, maybe getting bored we push them onto something more challenging. If we see they are trying to master a concept, do you want help here and now . It could be someone in india, they pop up in chat or on skype. It is much more adaptable and driven by the needs of the students. You are using the technology, youre making better use of data analytics. It is obviously much more scalable and affordable as well. What we do in that example, we can help the 22yearold graduate in china who has a great grammar in english but lacks the fluency to get the job with a global corporation. In another way we can help the parents in a poor country in africa, who knows, that left to their own devices there is a 50 chance after five years of schooling the child will not master basic literacy. And we can apply technology to help those life challenges as well. John youve lost some francine youve lost some conference in the u. S. Are you looking at emerging markets . That looks to be where there is more growth potential. John in america, in the First Six Months of the year, revenues were up 3 . The best growth weve had in the last few years. Our competitive performance in Higher Education and large parts of our schools is strong. We did lose a couple of contracts in one small part of the company, but in the overall context of the business, performance is strong. America is two thirds of our business today. The biggest single Growth Opportunity for pearson is helping to make education much more accessible, affordable and effective for people in america in the way i have described. Yes, we do see the Growth Opportunities in china and brazil, across subsaharan africa. Obviously with the recent events over the summer, these markets are challenged in many ways. But, there is still a large growing middle class who has great aspirations for their children and themselves, and for who better quality Education Training is an important part. We do see big opportunities there as well. Francine given the emerging markets, are you worried about a global recession . Is it something that worries you . John clearly, it is something that the ceo of a Global Company should worry about. Read the ft and Everything Else to get the best view that i can. I think it is important to focus on fundamentals in these times. A good example would be brazil. The country is in recession, times are difficult particularly in the Public Sector. We have a Great Management Team there doing a good job of bringing together all pearsons different assets in a way that we think will improve the performance of the company and allow us to grow over the next few years. Alongside the challenges of the Public Sector and brazil, youve got a growing middle class that wants better quality education for their children and themselves and are ready to pay for it. And we can provide services that fulfill that need. Francine if you price it right, is education recession proof . High unemployment, people may want to retrain. John that is a good part of the story. And of the opportunity, certainly if you look in america, in the last 60 years, Higher Education business is countercyclical. Enrollment goes up as unemployment rises, through these cycles, there is a systemic growth. You tend to see faster growth in the early years of the recession. I think as somebody famous once said do you think education is expensive, try ignorance. There is an understanding of education is the best investment you can make. If you look at that, in the united kingdom, the u. S. , brazil, returns on investment and education for individuals is greater now than at any other time in human history. Francine one of the biggest shakeups in the entertainment world. The Financial Times and the economist, two that pearson sold. After the break we talk acquisitions, strategy, and leadership. John if we can find acquisitions that create value to shareholders and longterm sustainable opportunities as well, we will take them. Francine more from john fallon when we return. Francine welcome back to leaders with lacqua. Publishing Group Pearson will gain a billion pounds from the sale of the ft and the economist. But what will it do with the money . John if we can find acquisitions that create value to shareholders and sustainable opportunities as well, we will take them. But we dont need to hurry or rush, and we will do that in the context of returning capital to shareholders. Francine do you worry about currency movements . John we judge things at Constant Exchange rates. We are a u. K. Listed company. Clearly the most important Exchange Rate that our shareholders look at is the pounddollar Exchange Rate. Over the cycle, we and most shareholders would look through that. Clearly you look at events in brazil at the moment, that is not a place where it will be a priority for capital but we will see how things emerge. Francine we have talked about investments and acquisition targets. Will you also sell your stake in pain when random . In Penguin Random . John random house is performing exceptionally well. We own 47 . We do have an established process in the shareholder by shareholder agreement, we can put shares francine and they are interested . John we are at a point where as i said we have plenty of capital to deploy at the moment. Penguin random house is performing well. Were in the process of combining the two operations in areas like warehousing, distribution, finance and technology systems. We are probably a year away from achieving the peaks synergies. While it is something that we look at, which i wouldnt rule out in the future, i dont think you should think it is a priority. Francine probably not 2015 or 2016. John probably not know. Not, no. As i say i think we are happy with the performance of the business. It is doing well. The decision we would make would be based on a view of what the earnings and growth would be. Against realizing the capital and growing Art Education business. It will be a view of what is best likely to deliver the highest returns to shareholders and grow the business sustainably over the next three years to five years. Francine talk to me about john fallon the leader. Who was your biggest inspiration . Is there another ceo or figure you look for inspiration . John one of the things that attracted me to pearson in the first place, my predecessor Marjorie Scardino always talked about the fact that every Great Company has to have a purpose. The profits derived from doing something important and meaningful to society and doing it incredibly well. So, what is important to mean and important to all 40,000 people in the company, who have the leadership roles to play in their different way, we have the opportunity to make the most important thing in the society and communities that we work alongside health and basic human needs. Education, more available to more people around the world. So in a purpose driven organization, it is understanding that profits are derived from doing something important and doing it well. Francine this is a catch 22. This cradle comes from you. It is not a company. John it is a mutually reinforcing thing. It is something that i learned and take from colleagues around the world each and every day. It is what every member of the board would think is important to the company. It is what matters to our customers, what matters to parents and communities in which we operate around the world. I think that since that holding yourself to that, that is what we talked to this thing about efficacy, those are all saying our purpose is to help people make progress through learning. It sounds fantastic but are you actually doing it each and every day . Are you expanding accessibility, helping teachers and students to be successful . In the ultimate measure are you translating that academic success into a better life and a better career and enhance employment prospects, or whatever it might be . That is the ultimate test. So combining the idea and reality with what you do each day is fundamental to the leadership of pearson, which comes not just from me but every person who works for the company. Francine is there advice you were given on being a leader . That you remember or hold dear . John not taking yourself too seriously, but always taking the work seriously. It is important. I think a sense of perspective. And never losing sight of that purpose and why you exist. I think having that strong moral compass and trying to do the right thing for the right reasons is important. On a personal note, probably the best bit of advice is from my kids and colleagues on a daily basis, try to be less grumpy, try to listen more effectively to people. Quite good advice as well. Francine where do you see yourself in five years . Less grumpy . John where i see pearson in five years is what matters. There is an opportunity as the company to do something important, and to fulfill that potential. The ultimate measure of where pearson is in five years time, i think, are we helping more people around the world in the poorest members of society through to the emerging middle class, to the wealthiest economies in the world . Are we helping more people to translate the promise of education into the reality of a better life . If we do that, then we will deliver great value to our shareholders over the next five years to 10 years, just like i believe we have over the last decade. Francine thank you for joining us. Thank you very much. Erik from west texas shale to drilling rigs far offshore offshore rules we need a hand on a handrail. Ok . Erik from angola to australia youre looking at the inside of an lng tank. Erik our thirst for energy has pushed chevron to almost every corner of the globe. We believe theres opportunity to progress. Good job, erik. Erik the giant company is active in 180 countries. It is the largest resource project in australia. Erik pumping almost 2. 6 Million Barrels every day. These are challenging times for big oil. Nobody in the business. Erik fracking has upended the global market. Renewables like solar and wind power are getting cheaper, and no one knows wor