Stephen Saunders MBE is a British communications analyst, digital media entrepreneur, and influential voice in the global communications industry. Over a career spanning more than three decades, he has built and led some of the sector’s most recognised media platforms, including founding Light Reading—later sold to Informa—and launching the Fierce Network and FNTV under Questex.
He began his career in the publishing industry in the early 1980s, before the advent of the internet, working his way from grassroots distribution roles in London to editorial positions covering the emerging world of data communications. In 1992, he relocated to the United States, where he rose to become Executive Editor of Data Communications Magazine, reporting on early networking technologies that would underpin the modern digital economy.
Stephen is widely regarded as an authority on the role of emerging technologies—particularly artificial intelligence—in reshaping the global digital landscape. His work focuses on how innovation is transforming infrastructure, business models, and industry power dynamics, as well as the broader political, economic, and societal implications of digital infrastructure at scale. He is especially known for offering an independent, often contrarian perspective on the growing influence of hyperscale technology companies.
Across his career, Stephen has received more than 100 awards for digital publishing and editorial excellence, including six Jesse H. Neal Awards from the American Society of Business Press Editors. In 2018, he was awarded an MBE by Queen Elizabeth II for services to the communications industry.
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Stephen has launched multiple industry initiatives and continues to write, speak, and advise on the future of global communications. His work has taken him across the world, reporting from major industry hubs as well as challenging environments, giving him a uniquely grounded perspective on the intersection of technology and geopolitics. He is the author of four books and a father of three.