The Thomson Corporation

Overview

The Thomson Corporation was one of the world's largest information companies, established in 1989 through the merger of International Thomson Organization and Thomson Newspapers. It traced its roots to 1934, when Roy Thomson acquired the Timmins Daily Press in Ontario. On April 17, 2008, The Thomson Corporation acquired Reuters Group for approximately $17 billion, forming Thomson Reuters; The Thomson Corporation ceased to exist as a separate entity following the merger.

Portfolio

Prior to the 2008 merger, Thomson Corporation businesses included Thomson Financial, Thomson Healthcare, Thomson Legal (including West Publishing/Westlaw, acquired 1996), Thomson Scientific, and Thomson Tax & Accounting. Thomson Learning was sold to Apax Partners in 2007 and renamed Cengage Learning.

Ownership

The Thomson family controlled The Thomson Corporation, and continues to control its successor Thomson Reuters, through The Woodbridge Company Limited, a private holding company based in Toronto. As of March 2026, Woodbridge held approximately 70.56 percent of Thomson Reuters' outstanding shares.

History

Roy Thomson built a media empire from a single Canadian newspaper into international newspaper, broadcasting, and information-services holdings, including the Sunday Times and the Times of London. The International Thomson Organization and Thomson Newspapers merged in 1989 to form The Thomson Corporation. The company divested its remaining newspaper interests over the 2000s, including its stake in Bell Globemedia (predecessor to CTVglobemedia), sold to The Woodbridge Company Limited. In 2008, Thomson Corporation acquired Reuters Group to form Thomson Reuters.

Leadership

• David Thomson has served as chairman of Thomson Reuters since 2008 and also chairs The Woodbridge Company.
• Steve Hasker has served as president and chief executive officer of Thomson Reuters since March 2020.

Location and contact info

Address
Toronto, Ontario, Canada