Welcoming our new chairman – and honouring a remarkable legacy

I am delighted to share some significant news about the leadership of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s UK Board of Trustees.

I am pleased to announce that Mike Eastwood, outgoing Chief Financial Officer of Thomson Reuters, has been appointed as the new Chairman of our UK Board of Trustees, effective May 2026. Mike steps into this role at a genuinely pivotal moment for the Foundation, and I could not be more delighted to welcome him.

Mike’s connection to the Thomson Reuters family is a long and distinguished one. His 26-year-career at the company is a tenure that speaks to his loyalty, understanding and principled leadership. His extensive, financial expertise spanning multiple disciplines will be an extraordinary asset to our board. Mike’s appointment also reflects the enduring strength and depth of the relationship between the Thomson Reuters Foundation and Thomson Reuters – a partnership that has been, and will continue to be, central to everything we are able to achieve.

As the Foundation moves into the next phase of its evolution – responding with urgency and ambition to the needs of the communities we serve – having a Chairman of Mike’s calibre, experience and dedication at the helm of our board will be invaluable. We are looking forward enormously to working alongside him, and I know the Foundation’s Trustees share my enthusiasm for what we will build together.

It is a genuine honour to be appointed Chairman of the Thomson Reuters Foundation’s UK Board of Trustees, and I come to this role with enormous enthusiasm and a deep sense of purpose. The Foundation’s mission – to bolster the resilience of independent media, strengthen access to the law, and foster responsible business practices – has never felt more vital, and I am committed to supporting the extraordinary work of Antonio and the team as they rise to meet the challenges ahead.

I look forward to building on the strong foundations my predecessor, Jim Smith, has laid, and to working alongside a board and staff whose dedication to this mission is truly inspiring. The best, I believe, is still to come.

ME

Mike EastwoodIncoming Chairman of the Board

As we celebrate this new beginning, it would be impossible to do so without recognising the dedication and leadership of the Foundation’s outgoing Chairman of the Board, Jim Smith.

Jim joined our board when he stepped down as President and CEO of Thomson Reuters in early 2020, and in the years since, has been an extraordinary steward of this organisation. Jim spent more than three decades with the Thomson organisation, starting in a newsroom and eventually leading the company. He brought a valuable combination of journalistic instinct and executive vision to his chairmanship of our board, and the Foundation is immeasurably richer for it.

Jim has guided our board through times of immense change – in the world, in the media landscape, in the philanthropic environment, and within our own organisation. His leadership has been strong and steady throughout, always anchored in a genuine belief in what this Foundation stands for and what it can achieve.

It has been a privilege to work with the talented team at the Thomson Reuters Foundation. Their work to support independent journalism and strengthen access to the law has never been more important than it is today. And Antonio couldn’t have a better partner than Mike to lead the organisation forward.

JS

Jim SmithOutgoing Chairman of the Board

On behalf of everyone at the Thomson Reuters Foundation – our staff, our partners, and our broader community – I want to say a profound and heartfelt thank you to Jim. His legacy is one we will carry forward with pride.