Alaistair Tempest was educated at York and Sheffield, and then at the College d'Europe at Bruges. He bacame Stagiaire at the EEC in 1973. He has worked for the CBI and ITCA, where he was charged with the preparation of ITV's case for a fourth TV channel. He joined the European Advertising Triparitite in 1980. He is also on the board of the European Advertising & Media Forecast, and the editorial committee of the International Journal of Advertising.