Stephen Beard

SHORT BIO

Based in London, Stephen Beard is Marketplace's former London Bureau Chief. He reported for the entire Marketplace portfolio providing daily coverage of Europe’s business and economic developments.

When asked what he most enjoys about his work, he answers simply, “travel.” Stephen produced a series of features on the European debt crisis, reported from the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, the World Economic Forum in Davos, and various locations in Greece, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.

Stephen has spent four decades in radio. Before joining Marketplace in 1993, he worked for 20 years as a BBC staffer and freelance reporter, in addition to time with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and with commercial broadcasting stations in Manchester, England, and Victoria, British Columbia. His reporting has taken him throughout North America and Europe, as well as the Middle East, China, Australia, Malaysia and India.

Stephen holds a prestigious Clarion Award for his report on the death of U.S. politician Ron Brown; a National Federation of Community Broadcasters Golden Reel award for a series on modern-day slavery; and a New York Festivals Silver World Medal for his series on the changing face of Eastern Europe.

Stephen is a graduate of the University of Leeds, with an honors degree in Law. When Stephen isn’t working, he enjoys reading biographies and tending his small farm outside London, which includes 110 ewes, one very noisy cockerel and an elderly, non-laying hen. In addition to his impressive journalism CV, he has also worked as a deep-sea fisherman and a bingo caller.

Latest Stories (38)

Will Britain’s new trade deal with the Pacific Rim make a success out of Brexit?

Apr 20, 2023
Some say U.K. membership of the Trans-Pacific Partnership will make up for any trade lost with the European Union after Brexit. But others have their doubts.
Above, signatories of CPTPP in 2018. Combined, the countries included are slated to account for 54% of global economic growth in the decades ahead.
Claudio Reyes/AFP via Getty Images

British museums weigh the cost of repatriating exhibits

Apr 11, 2023
Demands are growing for the return of artifacts looted or otherwise acquired during the period of the British Empire.
Museum-goers walk around the Parthenon Galleries at the British Museum. The "Elgin Marbles" may soon be returned to Greece to settle a dispute over the artifacts.
Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Hollywood on Thames: How the U.K. became the European home of the blockbuster

Apr 3, 2023
A generous tax break has attracted American moviemakers to the U.K., but the measure has its critics.
Britain's Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, is greeted by Chewbacca during a 2016 tour of the Star Wars sets at Pinewood studios in Iver Heath, west of London.
Adrian Dennis/AFP via Getty Images

Has Europe’s highest court made it harder to sanction the assets of Russian oligarchs?

Mar 10, 2023
Anti-money-laundering campaigners say that a recent decision by the European Court of Justice is a blow against financial transparency.
The European Court of Justice, seen above in Luxembourg, recently ruled against a series of registers of true ownership, which are designed to prevent wealthy individuals from hiding their assets.
John Thys/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian artists look abroad for help as they defend their culture against Russian invasion

Feb 24, 2023
Actors, dancers, singers and theater producers in Ukraine say they are determined to protect their national identity from Russian aggression.
Musicians perform during a candlelight concert in Kyiv on Dec. 1. Despite the Russian onslaught, Ukrainian artists are doing what they can to keep their culture alive.
Dimitar Dilkoff/AFP via Getty Images

Ukrainian refugees struggle to adapt to a new economic reality

Feb 14, 2023
Russia’s invasion has displaced millions of people. Some are rebuilding their lives and businesses in other countries.
Ukrainian refugees stand in line to attend a job fair in Brooklyn on Feb. 1.
Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images

Seaweed and onion skins: British companies look to natural products to replace plastic

Feb 13, 2023
The British government has imposed a far-reaching ban on single-use plastics, creating opportunity for environmental entrepreneurs.
Examples of Notpla's biodegradable packaging — made from seaweed.
Justin Tallis/AFP via Getty Images

Is Ireland too economically dependent on Big Tech to regulate it properly?

Jan 31, 2023
Ireland is at loggerheads with the European Union over the best way to police American tech giants with European headquarters on Irish soil.
The influx of Big Tech companies to Ireland has helped fuel  the country's economic growth. Above, Google's offices in Dublin.
Paul Faith/AFP via Getty Images

With more Brits retiring early, the Bank of England warns of a shrinking workforce — and rising inflation

Jan 17, 2023
A surge in the number of early retirees threatens to prolong inflation in the U.K.
The Bank of England, seen above, warns that a shrinking workforce and prolonged labor shortages could drive up inflation.
Ben Stansall/AFP via Getty Images

Crisis at Christmas: Strikes disrupt the U.K. during the festive season

Dec 29, 2022
During a wave of industrial unrest, triggered by the cost of living crisis, striking workers voice their discontent from the picket line.
Workers strike outside a mail-sorting office not far from London. The now-privatized Royal Mail service says it can't afford an inflation-matching pay hike.
Mimisse Beard