Daisy Veerasingham becomes first woman and POC president to lead the Associated Press

The Associated Press has named Daisy Veerasingham to succeed retiring AP President Gary Pruitt in January, making her the first person of color, woman and international citizen to hold the position in the media company’s 175-year history.

Big promotion: Veerasingham, 51, received her second promotion this year during an AP board of directors meeting last week, according to The Economic Times.

Daisy Veerasingham named president and CEO of The Associated Press: https://t.co/s0K0Q2bOKT pic.twitter.com/HInrIVIc0B

— AP CorpComm (@AP_CorpComm) August 3, 2021

Steven R. Swartz, chairman of the AP Board of Directors and president and CEO of Hearst, calls Veerasingham a “proven leader with a deep understanding of how AP operates and a clear vision for the future.”
“She appreciates the crucial role AP plays in providing journalism and services that are indispensable to the news industry,” Swartz added in the statement AP published last week.
“I am thrilled to take the helm of this deeply respected news organization and work with colleagues who do extraordinary work every day in support of our mission,” Veerasingham said in the statement. “Gary has been a true champion of mine along the way, and I sincerely appreciate his support.”
Veerasingham is expected to continue to diversify the publication’s income sources, where 40% of its revenue is now generated internationally.
She expressed her determination to maintain the AP as a fact-based news source to fight for the freedom of the press.
“These are values that are core to the AP since its founding 175 years ago,” Veerasingham said. “I think that they are actually more important today.”

About her: Veerasingham is a first-generation British national of Sri Lankan descent with a law degree.

Before working for AP, Veerasingham worked as group sales and marketing director at LexisNexis and was appointed in sales and marketing roles at Financial Times.
Veerasingham started at AP as a sales director for AP Television News in London in 2004. The company eventually promoted her to vice president of sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia. She also led the company’s expansion efforts.
She was promoted to senior vice president for international revenue and later as senior vice president and chief revenue officer in 2019.
AP appointed her as executive vice president and chief operating officer in February 2021.

Featured Image via PrimeFocusIndia

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