Kenyan to sit on Thomson Reuters board

Ory-Okolloh

Thomson Reuters Founders Share Company has appointed Ory Okolloh to its board of directors.

Thomson Reuters is the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals.

Okolloh, a Kenyan residing in South Africa, is a globally recognised activist, lawyer and blogger. She currently serves as Director of Investments at Omidyar Network, a California-based philanthropic investment firm.

Okolloh grabbed the world's attention when she established Ushahidi – a website that combines mapping with eyewitness reports used to monitor elections in Kenya. The technology has since been adapted in a number of other countries for different purposes, including monitoring elections and tracking pharmaceutical availability.

In 2006, she co-founded the parliamentary watchdog site Mzalendo (Patriot), which sought to increase accountability by recording governmental bills, speeches and standing orders.

Ushahidi was later replicated in other parts of the world such as Mexico, India, Congo and Haiti (when the latter was devastated by an earthquake).

Her exploits have since earned her recognition by Time, which has listed her as one of the world's 100 most influential people.

She was mentioned in the same breath with other influential global leaders such as Angela Merkel and Vladimir Putin.

Additionally, she has served as a legal consultant for NGOs and has held various positions with Covington and Burling, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights and the World Bank.

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.

"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," said Uffe Ellemann-Jensen, chairman of the Founders Share Company's Board.