Tim Hepher leaves Reuters after 'the experience of a lifetime'

Hepher has covered aviation for more than a decade and was acknowledged as a leading expert on the industry. After joining Reuters from Platts he had previously worked mainly in energy, commodities and financial news, based in France or Italy.

In a farewell message to colleagues, he said: “Ever since being recruited by OPEC legend Nick Moore, it has been the experience of a lifetime to work for Reuters and to learn our exhilarating craft from some of the best writers, editors and visual journalists in the world.”

He said his pride at working for a globally respected agency was as strong on his last day as his first.

He described initially struggling with the arcane jargon of “overnighters” and “skedlines” and instructions from “gods” in London sending orders in telegraphic language like “apols if missed” which he translated as “you have missed this,” but said he gradually became totally hooked.

“I learned very quickly that in Reuters, being late is unbearable but being wrong is unacceptable - that everyone makes mistakes, but nobody leaves them uncorrected. The result was news you could take to the bank.”

Among the many stories he covered he said he would never forget the heartbreaking rage and distress of relatives after the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight 370, which disappeared in 2014 with 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board.

“I will miss the unique global camaraderie of Reuters and hope you all enjoy hunting many more scoops and thought-provoking stories, successfully and safely,” he concluded.  

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