Reuters picks Alessandra Galloni as next editor-in-chief

A woman is set to lead the global news agency Reuters for the first time in its nearly 170-year history.

The company announced Monday that Alessandra Galloni, currently its global news editor, would take over as editor-in-chief after the retirement of Stephen Adler this month.

Steve Hasker, CEO of Reuters News’s parent company, Thomson Reuters, said in a statement that the company was “committed to the future” of the journalism industry.

“Thomson Reuters is committed to the future of Reuters News. It is an important part of the company and is valued across our customer base. The last year has proven beyond question the value of independent, global, unbiased journalism,” he said.

Galloni will officially take over the job a week from Monday, according to Reuters.

“For 170 years, Reuters has set the standard for independent, trusted and global reporting,” she said in a statement carried by the news agency. “It is an honor to lead a world-class newsroom full of talented, dedicated and inspiring journalists.”

Reuters was established in 1851 and employs thousands of journalists in bureaus around the world. In 2008, it was bought by the Thomson Corporation, with the parent company renaming itself Thomson Reuters.