Trust Principles guardians add two new directors

They are Ronald Close, a Canadian, and Kim Williams (photo), an Australian.

The Founders Share Company acts as guardian of the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles which were drawn up in 1941 to preserve Reuters’ independence, integrity and freedom from bias in the gathering and dissemination of information and news.

Close has held senior executive positions at several media and technology businesses ranging from start-ups to global corporations. His work on executive boards includes that of The Globe and Mail, the Toronto newspaper owned by the family of Thomson Reuters chairman David Thomson through its investment company Woodbridge.

Williams is a former Australian media executive who worked most recently as CEO of News Corp Australia. On the Founders Share Company board he replaces John Fairfax who is stepping down after a decade as a director.

Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, chairman of the board, welcomed the two new directors and said: “Their combined experience - including in media, technology, digital disruption and freedom of press - are of growing importance to the values we uphold, and their global insight reflects the true geographic reach of Thomson Reuters.”

Board members are represented across six continents and over a dozen countries.

The new appointments take immediate effect and follow the appointment of Tarja Halonen, former president of Finland, announced in December. ■