Monique Villa

Monique Villa, CEO, Thomson Reuters Foundation

Monique Villa' is CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation and founder of TrustLaw and Trust Women. She has been ranked twice among the world's 100 most influential people in Business Ethics by Ethisphere.[1]

Monique Villa is a journalist, a business leader, and a passionate advocate for women’s empowerment. She was appointed CEO of Thomson Reuters Foundation in 2008. She has since transformed the organization into a global corporate foundation, leveraging the skills, expertise, and values of Thomson Reuters to run groundbreaking programs which trigger change and empower people across the world.

Monique Villa spent the first part of her career at Agence France-Presse (AFP) reporting from the field. She then led AFP’s business development setting up prestigious international partnerships. Monique later became Managing Director of Reuters Media and Chairman of Action Images. In 2011 she was ranked 43rd in the Ethisphere’s list of the world’s 100 most influential people in Business Ethics.[2]

Thomson Reuters Foundation

In 2008, Villa was appointed CEO of the Thomson Reuters Foundation, after the acquisition of Reuters Group by The Thomson Corporation.[3][4]

Villa launched TrustLaw, a service created in 2010 to spread the practice of pro bono worldwide by connecting law firms and corporate legal teams around the world with NGOs and social enterprises in need of free legal assistance.[5]

Villa is also the Founder of Trust Women,[6]

In 2013 Villa regularly speaks on women's rights and modern slavery, including a TED talk at TEDx Houses of Parliament in London.[7] and DAVOS in Switzerland [8]

Trust Law

TrustLaw is a global pro bono programme dedicated to spreading the practice of pro bono. TrustLaw connects the best law firms in the world with NGOs and social enterprises working to create social and environmental change; produces groundbreaking legal research; and offers innovative training courses worldwide. Since its inception, TrustLaw has generated over $70 million in free legal support.

In 2016 Trust Law launched the third TrustLaw Index of Pro Bono, a global pro bono benchmarking tool designed to be a hub for information and trends in the pro bono sector.[9] Results showed that law firms had stepped up free legal services amid international refugee crisis.[10]

Through Trust Law services, policy changing research has supported the ban of gay conversion practices on minors in the United States,[11] stronger protections for child rape victims in China [12] and protections for first responders to road accidents in India.[13]

Trust Women

Trust Women is a global forum committed to finding solutions to empower women and to fight slavery worldwide.[14] Speakers have included Livia Firth [15] and Christy Turlington.[16] UK Prime Minister Theresa May launched the UK Stop Slavery Act in 2013.[17]

In 2015, Villa and renowned artist Anish Kapoor launched the Stop Slavery Award [18] to recognise and raise awareness of businesses cleaning their supply chain. Modern-slavery is of great interest to Villa, who believes multi-national companies have a role to play in the fight against forced labour.[19]

Awards

In 2015, Villa received the 2015 Champions for Change Award for her vision and effort in the fight against human trafficking and modern-day slavery.[20]

In 2014, she was ranked 37th in Ethisphere's list of the world's 100 most influential people in Business Ethics,[21] rising from 43 in 2011.

Under Villa, the Foundation has received numerous awards, including a Webby Award for Best News Website; a SOPA Award for Excellence in Human Rights Reporting, a Charity Award for Advice, Support, and Advocacy, and a Communicator Award for Excellence.

References

  1. http://ethisphere.com/magazine/100-most-influential-in-business/
  2. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/monique-villa
  3. "Thomson Reuters Announces New Leadership Team for Foundation". PR News Wire. 28 April. Retrieved 20 May 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. "Thomson Completes Acquisition of Reuters; Thomson Reuters Shares Begin Trading Today". Thomson Reuters. 17 April 2008. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. http://business.financialpost.com/2010/06/23/thomson-reuters-launches-trustlaw/
  6. Trust Women Conference
  7. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAkkDNT5rQw
  8. http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2016/01/22/modern-day-slavery-multi-billion-dollar-business/79160918/
  9. http://www.legalcurrent.com/thomson-reuters-foundation-releases-2016-trustlaw-index-of-pro-bono/
  10. http://www.solicitorsjournal.com/news/legal-profession/legal-aid/27163/law-firms-%E2%80%98step-up%E2%80%99-pro-bono-support-amid-international-refuge
  11. https://www.yahoo.com/news/only-five-countries-lgbt-people-equal-constitutional-rights-131157349.html
  12. http://foreignpolicy.com/2016/02/02/seeking-justice-for-china-underage-prostitutes-sex-crimes-law-rights-crackdown/
  13. http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/towards-a-law-for-good-samaritans/article8393883.ece/
  14. http://www.trustwomenconf.com/
  15. http://edition.cnn.com/2015/11/20/world/livia-firth-fast-fashion-wages/
  16. http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/news/lifestyle/547823/christy-turlington-burns-and-livia-firth-speak-up-about-women-s-rights-at-the-trust-women-conference.html /
  17. https://www.gov.uk/government/speeches/home-secretary-speech-on-modern-slavery/
  18. https://www.ft.com/content/e5d01ab0-89f4-11e5-90de-f44762bf9896/
  19. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/monique-villa/putting-human-trafficking_b_9607820.html
  20. http://www.icrw.org/media/monique-villa-honored-champions-change-award
  21. http://ethisphere.com/magazine/100-most-influential-in-business
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