Andreas Whittam Smith
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Andreas Whittam Smith, CBE, financial journalist, was one of the co-founders of The Independent newspaper in October 1986, and is a former president of the British Board of Film Classification.
Whittam Smith was born in 1937. The son of a parish priest, he was educated at Birkenhead School, and at Keble College, Oxford. Most of his career has been spent in the City in journalism, including as City Editor of The Guardian and The Daily Telegraph, and as Editor of the Investors Chronicle and Stock Exchange Gazette. He was a founder and first editor of The Independent newspaper from 1986 to 1993. He still contributes articles on a regular basis.
On 6th March 2002 The Queen approved Whittam Smith's appointment as First Church Estates Commissioner. He is also Chairman of the Financial Ombudsman Service Ltd, a Director of Independent News and Media (UK), Vice Chairman of Tunbridge Wells Equitable Friendly Society, also a Vice President of the National Council for One Parent Families. He was appointed President of the British Board of Film Classification in 1997, instigating liberalisation of film and video censorship, a post from which he resigned in 2002. Later that year he was made a Commander of The Order of the British Empire.