Thomson and Reuters 'a matter for the next generation' - David Thomson

“Canadian media family executive David Thomson rarely ventures outside his Toronto hometown, but he was in London for a board meeting of Thomson Reuters followed by drinks and dinner with the City’s movers and shakers,” the Financial Times reported on Saturday.

“At the British Museum event midweek, he expressed faith in the digital media future, ahead of a relaunch of the family’s Globe and Mail publication in Canada. But he shrugged off the question of whether the Thomson name would remain twinned with Reuters as a matter for the next generation.”

The FT gave no further details about Thomson’s remarks at the event. It said chief executive Tom Glocer welcomed HSBC chairman and UK trade minister designate Stephen Green, who was a fellow panellist at a conference held during the week by strategic advisory group Oxford Analytica on global risk and the global economy.

Thomson, 53, grandson of the family media empire’s founder the late Lord Thomson, became chairman of Thomson Corporation in 2002 and chairman of the merged entity after the acquisition of Reuters in 2008. He does not use his hereditary title of 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet. Forbes magazine ranks him and his family the richest in Canada and 20th richest in the world with a fortune of C$19 billion.

Lord Thomson founded a media dynasty, ensuring that control passed to his son, Kenneth who died in 2006, and his son, David. In his 1975 autobiography, Lord Thomson wrote: “David, my grandson, will have to take his part in the running of the Organisation and David’s son, too. With the fortune that we will leave to them go also responsibilities. These Thomson boys that come after Ken are not going to be able, even if they want to, to shrug off these responsibilities.” ■