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³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio 4's Today programme is launching an annual lecture, attracting high profile, prominent figures to speak about the current issues facing the business world.

The first person to deliver the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Today Business Lecture in November will be the Chief Executive of Barclays, Bob Diamond.

He will be addressing an invited audience of 200 guests, and there will be introductory remarks from Today presenter John Humphrys, who will also interview Bob Diamond for the following day's Today programme.

The lecture, held at the new ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Broadcasting House on Thursday 3 November 2011, will be covered by ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ News, as well as being made available in full on the .

Ceri Thomas, Editor of Today, said: "Business is a key part of Today's agenda and this annual event will not only see prominent figures exploring challenges facing the business world, but will also give our audiences a unique opportunity to hear about them.

"I am delighted that Bob Diamond has agreed to give the inaugural ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Today Business Lecture. The ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ already has a proud tradition of hosting the Reith and Dimbleby Lectures, and I hope that this too will become an important fixture not just in the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ calendar but for the business world as well."

Bob Diamond said: "I am honoured and delighted to have been invited to deliver the inaugural ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Today Business Lecture. I think this is an important initiative from the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ which demonstrates a bold commitment to providing a forum for business leaders to address the issues of the day and should in turn improve the dialogue between the business world and wider society."

Notes to Editors

The Today programme is Radio 4's flagship news and current affairs programme, and is listened to by seven million people each week. Presented by John Humphrys, James Naughtie, Sarah Montague, Evan Davis and Justin Webb, Today is widely considered to be one of the most influential news programmes in Britain.

Bob Diamond is the Chief Executive of Barclays PLC. Previously, he was President of Barclays PLC and Chief Executive of Corporate & Investment Banking and Wealth Management, comprising Barclays Capital, Barclays Corporate, and Barclays Wealth. He joined the firm in 1996.

Prior to Barclays, Bob was Vice Chairman and Head of Global Fixed Income and Foreign Exchange at CS First Boston. Previously, he was Managing Director and Head of Fixed Income Trading at Morgan Stanley International, spending 13 years with the firm.

Bob began his career as a lecturer at the School of Business, University of Connecticut.

A native of Concord, Massachusetts, Bob received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Colby College in Maine (1974) and an MBA from the University of Connecticut, where he ranked first in his class (1977). He was awarded Doctor of Humane Letters from the University of Connecticut in 2006 and Doctor of Laws from Colby College in 2008.

LZ