With the next news:rewired digital journalism conference only four weeks away, we are proud to announce Emily Bell, director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia Journalism School, as the keynote speaker to open proceedings on the day.

Bell has been director of the Tow Center since 2010, which she joined after a 20-year career at the Guardian, including five years as editor-in-chief of the Guardian websites and four years as director of digital content.

She joins a growing list of speakers from leading news organisations due to speak at the event on Thursday 16 July at MSN HQ in London.