Sir Anthony scoops Media Person of the Year award
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Tuesday May 13 2008
SIR Anthony O'Reilly, chief executive of Independent News and Media (INM), has won a prestigious award at the 55th Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival.
He was named Media Person of the Year in recognition of his leadership, since the 1970s, of the fast-growing media and communications group INM.
Previous winners of the award include Lachlan Murdoch, deputy chief operating officer of News Corporation; Sumner Redstone, chairman and chief executive of Viacom and Italian Prime Minister and media magnate, Silvio Berlusconi.
After learning of the judges' decision, Sir Anthony said: "I am extremely honoured to join such an extraordinary group of people who have made an enormous contribution to the world of media."
The award will be presented to Sir Anthony in the Palais des Festivals in Cannes on June 18.
In making their decision, the judges found that Sir Anthony had built a "geographically unique and diverse portfolio of market-leading brands spanning four continents, 10 major markets and 22 individual countries."
INM owns and publishes over 200 newspaper and magazine titles, delivering a combined weekly circulation of over 32m copies with a weekly audience of over 100m consumers and with market-leading newspapers in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India and South Africa.
Titles include The Irish Independent, The Independent in London and the world's largest-read newspaper, Dainik Jagran in India. INM is also the largest radio operator in Australasia with more than 130 stations and is the largest outdoor advertising operator in Australasia and Africa.
Announcing the award, chairman of the Festival, Terry Savage said: "The prestigious Media Person of the Year Award is being presented this year to one of the world's top media leaders. We are delighted to honour Sir Anthony, a formidable personality with a diverse career, in recognition of his business proficiency and leadership skills of a top international media organisation."
Distinguished
A former international rugby player, Sir Anthony is the highest try scorer in the history of the British and Irish Lions.
In a distinguished business career he has served as chief executive of the Irish Dairy Board and managing director of the Irish Sugar Company before joining the HJ Heinz Company where he led the organisation for nearly 30 years and became the first non-family member to serve as chairman.
During his time with Heinz, he became the first Irishman to lead a Fortune 500 Company.
Sir Anthony is also chairman and co-founder of the Ireland Funds, the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland which is dedicated to raising funds to support programmes of peace and reconciliation, arts, culture and education.
- Breda Heffernan
