François Nel

François Nel is a prominent figure in media innovation and entrepreneurship, currently serving as a Reader and Associate Professor at the University of Central Lancashire since 2001, as well as the Director of the Journalism Leaders Programme, which supports innovative news organizations. Nel's expertise extends to several key roles, including Editor of World Press Trends for WAN-IFRA since 2018, Partner at the Innovation Research Group, and Co-founder of the Digital Editors Network. Additionally, François Nel is the Founding Director of the MADE Project, a UK initiative focused on nurturing news startups. Previously, François Nel held positions at Cape Peninsula University of Technology and the Charlotte Observer, and earned a PhD in Journalism from City, University of London.