He is an International Affairs Analyst with CBN, a major news radio station in Brazil; a Columnist on International Affairs with “O Estado de São Paulo” newspaper, and a Reporter with “Exame” magazine. He is also a free lancer Reporter with Época magazine and Bandeirantes TV. He has covered wars and other events in 60 countries. In Brazil, he has traveled through the whole country, doing reportages on economic, political and social issues. He has written, edited, analyzed, photographed, made video and radio reportages. He has a Master’s degree in Journalism from the University of São Paulo, and a degree in Journalism from the Federal University of Goiás. He has published two books: “Viagem ao Mundo dos Taleban", or Travel to the Talebans’ World (Geração Editorial, 2002) and “O Destino do Jornal”, or The Newspaper’s Fate (Editora Record, 2008).

Earlier in his career, he was posted to Washington, South Africa, Syria and Yemen. Sir John is now Chairman of Macro Advisory Partners, a firm that advises clients on the intersection of policy, politics, and markets.

Prior to March 2013 he served as a member of the European Parliament (MEP), in the capacity of vice-chair of the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee (ECON), and a member of the European Statistical Advisory Committee (ESAC). Former Professor and head of the Department of Economics at the University of Malta, chairman of the Malta Financial Services Authority, chairman of the Malta Council of Economic and Social Development, board director of the Central Bank of Malta, and electoral commissioner. Internationally he has carried out consultancy work for the European Commission, UNESCO, the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP), and the Governments of Albania, Croatia, Libya, and Turkey.

Prior to this, he was professor of international law in the University, where he was once the dean of its faculty of law and the general director of the law school. He has published books and articles on such problems as terrorism and territorial dispute like the Sahara Conflict from international legal perspectives, and is one of the co-authors of `Morocco’s War on Terrorism.’