Thomson Reuters has announced that kenyan activitist, lawyer and blogger Ory Okolloh has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company.
The Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company acts as a guardian of the Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Thomson Reuters is the world’s leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.
Ory currently serves as Director of Investments at Omidyar Network, a California-based philanthropic investment firm. Prior to joining Omidyar Network, she served as Google’s Policy Manager for Africa. When Kenya was engulfed in violence following a disputed presidential election in 2007, she helped create Ushahidi (Swahili: “Witness”), a website that recorded eyewitness reports of violence using text messages and Google Maps. The technology has since been adapted in a number of other countries for different purposes, including monitoring elections and tracking pharmaceutical availability.
Okolloh earned an undergraduate degree in Political Science from the University of Pittsburgh and graduated from Harvard Law School in 2005. She was named to the TIME 100 Most Influential People list in 2014.
According to Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, Chairman of the Founders Share Company’s Board, “A true pioneer in technology and philanthropy, Ory Okolloh’s creative insight, global perspective and sharp sense of accountability will be a valuable addition to the Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company’s Board of Directors. We are pleased to welcome her.”
