Annette Thomas appointed Guardian Media Group c.e.o.

Annette Thomas has been appointed as the Guardian Media Group's new chief executive.

Thomas, who was most recently chief executive of data, analytics and software business Web of Science Group leading it to list on the New York Stock Exchange as part of Clarivate Analytics, will take up her new role on 2nd March.

A former m.d. of Nature Publishing Group, Thomas later went on to become chief executive of Macmillan Publishers. In 2012 Thomas was appointed chief executive of Macmillan Science and Education, where she oversaw the merger between Macmillan and Springer Science & Business Media.

Guardian Media Group (GMG) board chair Neil Berkett said: "The hard work of the past three years has put GMG in a stronger position, while also making our business more digital, more international and more reader centric. Our journalism has had a stellar 12 months, and remains world class. Even so, it's clear that we'll continue to face big headwinds in the global media sector in 2020 and beyond.

"Annette is a highly experienced leader of mission-driven businesses. Her track record is exceptional—she has consistently delivered sustainable growth through deep engagement with end-users, championing innovative new business models with more open access to content and data, and building diverse and inclusive management teams. All of this makes her the ideal person to lead the next phase of GMG's evolution in partnership with our editor-in-chief Katharine Viner."

Thomas added: "I am delighted to be joining Guardian Media Group as chief executive. The Guardian brand, its progressive perspective, global reach, and unique ownership structure with its values safeguarded by the Scott Trust are all significant strengths in these challenging times.

"The Guardian is demonstrating that establishing a deep and loyal relationship with readers, empowering them with information and delighting them with insight, creates an opportunity to develop new business models.

"The need and appetite for trusted high-quality journalism, grounded in facts, has never been greater. I’ve always admired the quality and breadth of the Guardian’s journalism, and I am looking forward to working with Katharine Viner and this exceptional team to develop a financially sustainable future built upon these values and principles."

Anna Bateson will continue as interim chief executive until this date, before returning to her role as chief customer officer.