Francesca Barber to Lead AI and Innovation at POLITICO in Expanded Executive Role

POLITICO Appoints Francesca Barber as Executive Vice President, AI & Innovation

POLITICO announced that Francesca Barber will take on the role of Executive Vice President, AI & Innovation. In this position, she will lead the company’s strategy to integrate emerging technologies and advance POLITICO’s offerings.

Since its launch in 2007, POLITICO has evolved by aligning its products with audience needs and leveraging contemporary technology. From pioneering mobile-focused newsletters to delivering in-depth policy intelligence, innovation has been central to its growth.

Why Francesca Barber?

AI is transforming how professionals access and process information. POLITICO’s leadership recognized the need for cohesive innovation across the organization and appointed Barber to drive this effort. While AI remains a collective responsibility, Barber’s role centralizes strategy and coordination.

Her leadership will focus on ensuring AI initiatives are transparent, coherent, and maintain high-quality standards. This role empowers every reporter, editor, and publishing professional to enhance creativity and efficiency, improve workflows, and accelerate product and revenue growth.

Expanded Responsibilities

Barber will continue leading POLITICO’s newsroom Audience team as well as the newsroom Product & Engineering teams. Her portfolio now covers five critical areas:

• Protecting POLITICO’s core intellectual property, including journalism and data
• Driving product innovation to boost revenue, subscriber growth, and engagement
• Integrating AI into daily workflows and operations
• Establishing governance to ensure responsible AI use
• Managing resources and accountability to support AI initiatives

These priorities mark the starting point for how POLITICO will expand AI’s role in its business.

Proven Track Record

Joining POLITICO in spring 2023 as Executive Director of Global Newsroom Strategy, Barber has built a high-performing team and introduced new capabilities. Her expertise in audience engagement, operations modernization, and strategic innovation has already influenced the company’s work significantly.

With over a decade in newsrooms, she combines journalistic insight with technological skill, making her well-suited to lead POLITICO’s AI strategy.

This appointment reflects POLITICO’s commitment to advancing its business through thoughtful AI integration and innovation. Executives and strategists looking to understand how media organizations can evolve with technology may find Barber’s approach particularly instructive.