Mark Thompson

Mark Thompson is a British media executive who is Chief Executive & Chairman of CNN. As of August 30, 2023, Thompson took over this role, succeeding Chris Licht. He also serves as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Ancestry, the largest for-profit genealogy company in the world.

Thompson is the former president and chief executive officer of The New York Times Company, a position he held until his move to CNN. From 2004 to 2012, he served as Director-General of the BBC, and prior to that, he was the Chief Executive of Channel 4. In 2009, Thompson was ranked as the 65th most powerful person in the world by Forbes magazine. He was elected to the American Philosophical Society in 2017.

Throughout his career, Thompson has been recognized for his leadership in the media industry. At The New York Times Company, he led the brand’s transformation into the world's fastest-growing and most successful news digital subscription business. During his tenure, digital subscriptions grew nine-fold to over five million, and the company's market cap increased nearly five times. His appointment at The New York Times Company followed an eight-year term as Director General (CEO and Editor-in-Chief) of the BBC, where he is widely credited with expanding the BBC’s digital and global reach and overseeing the development of the BBC iPlayer. He originally joined the BBC from Channel 4, where he was Chief Executive from 2002 to 2004.