David Gilbertson

David Gilbertson is a British author, journalist, and business executive with a rich career spanning publishing, media, and fiction. He began as a Reuters journalist and, following a first-class degree in English and Modern Languages at Cambridge, rose to leadership roles including Editor of Lloyd’s List, Managing Director of The Lancet, and CEO of Informa and Emap—major global media and information groups. His three-decades long career in journalism, media consultancy, and business leadership is credited with transforming Lloyd’s List into a successful enterprise and advising media and private equity firms.  

David Gilbertson is known as an author for his Wine Bar Theory (2013), a compact business manifesto offering 28 practical strategies for balancing success with personal well-being, widely lauded for its accessible wisdom. The book draws from Gilbertson’s CEO experience and earned praise from Phaidon, highlighting its call to “work smarter, not longer”.

In 2024 David Gilbertson debuted as a historical-fiction author of A Fine Line, Gilbertson’s first novel. Showcased on social platforms as a timely historical debut and praised for style and depth of period detail, A Fine Line traces life across Victorian Liverpool, Dundee, and WWI battlefields. Published by Austin Macauley, A Fine Line's narrative weaves around four ordinary characters—their bonds of friendship and courage during turbulent times—with strong reviews noting its emotional depth and historical texture, and  explores intergenerational struggle, resilience, and social inequality—rooted in lockdown-researched family history.