TrustMedia Team

Monique Villa was appointed CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2008, shortly after the acquisition of Reuters by Thomson. She has since transformed the former Reuters Foundation into a strategic, high-impact and truly global foundation that reflects the expertise and business acumen of the company.

With the strong belief that information is a form of aid that can strengthen humanitarian work, spread the rule of law and ultimately save lives, Monique has built upon the Foundation’s successful programmes in media and journalism training around the world to launch several new initiatives.

In January 2010, she created the Emergency Information Service (EIS) to provide critical information to survivors of Haiti’s devastating earthquake. EIS provided an unprecedented lifeline for tens of thousands of people through SMS messages, demonstrating that two-way communication is key to saving lives and bolstering recovery.

In June 2010, she launched TrustLaw, a service to connect lawyers willing to work at no cost with NGOs, social entrepreneurs and governments in need of legal assistance. With members in more than 140 countries, TrustLaw is also a global hub of news and information on anti-corruption and good governance.

Prior to joining the Foundation, Monique was Managing Director of Reuters Media and Chairman of Action Images. Monique managed the picture and text news business for Reuters from 2001. She transformed the picture business and negotiated important deals for Media and Editorial, including a partnership with the International Herald Tribune to jointly produce their business pages, both in print and online.

A French national, Monique spent the first part of her career at Agence France-Presse (AFP) where she held a number of senior journalistic and management positions. She reported for a number of years from Paris, Rome and London where she was bureau chief from 1991 to 1996. She then became Director of Strategy and Business Development at AFP headquarters in Paris, with responsibility for the agency’s major partnerships worldwide.

Married with two sons, Monique studied Law and Political Science and has a Diploma from the Paris Centre de Formation Des Journalistes.

Jo has set up and managed partnership programmes between Thomson Reuters Foundation and various organisations including Robert Bosch Stiftung, IUCN (The World Conservation Union), the International Finance Corporation, Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF), The World Bank, UK's Department for International Development (DFID), UNICEF, UNDP, The American University of Beirut, The Westminster Foundation for Democracy and The Federation of Arab News Agencies.

She directed the Thomson Reuters Foundation's Aswat al Iraq project from 2004-2008 which helped journalists in Iraq to set up an independent news agency. This programme, which is funded by the United Nations Development Programme continues to operate independently as an accurate and objective news source to Iraqi and international media, as well as individuals.

Jo also manages the partnership with the new media training academy in Abu Dhabi, TwoFour54. As one of the main partners, Thomson Reuters Foundation delivers regular journalism training workshops for Arab journalists.