Annette Thomas Joins General Atlantic as Senior Advisor

LONDON & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--General Atlantic, a leading global growth equity firm, announced today that Annette Thomas has joined the firm as a Senior Advisor. Based in London, Annette will provide strategic support and counsel to General Atlantic’s investment teams and portfolio companies across the EMEA region.

Annette brings more than 25 years of experience working with global media, data, information technology and education businesses across Europe and North America, overseeing numerous digital and data transformation strategies. Most recently, Annette served as CEO of Guardian Media Group, the parent company of the Guardian and Observer newspapers, where she focused the group’s strategy on digital reader revenues whilst delivering record financial results. Annette previously served as CEO of Nature Publishing Group, Macmillan Science and Education, and Web of Science Group, which she led to IPO as part of Clarivate Analytics. Annette also founded Digital Science, the pioneering start-up for data, analytics and software firms, focused on the changing needs of the academic research community.

Bill Ford, Chairman and CEO of General Atlantic, said, “We are thrilled to welcome Annette to our firm at a time when the quality of entrepreneurship around the world is as strong as it has ever been, including in Europe. Annette is an accomplished leader of businesses across the international media, technology and learning industries, and we are confident her expertise and insights will benefit our investment teams and portfolio companies globally.”

Annette Thomas commented, “General Atlantic has a strong track record and reputation as a trusted partner to entrepreneurs, enabling them to achieve their long-term ambitions and create some of the most exciting growth stories across the global markets. I look forward to working with the team and advising the leaders of the firm’s portfolio companies on harnessing digital and data to deepen their engagement with end-users, scale their businesses and build iconic brands.”

Gabriel Caillaux, Co-President, Managing Director and Head of General Atlantic’s business in EMEA, added, “For over two decades, Annette has built high-performance teams, driving sustained growth by pivoting businesses from regional to global, print to digital, and implementing data-driven strategies. Her experience in establishing and evolving influential brands will be instrumental to our team as we identify, support and help scale innovative growth businesses across the EMEA region."

Annette sits on the Board of Pearson as an Independent Non-Executive Director and serves as a Trustee Fellow at Yale University. Previously, Annette sat on the Boards of Clarivate Analytics, Cambridge University Press and Assessment and Creative Commons.

Annette earned her undergraduate degree with honors in Biochemistry and Biophysics from Harvard University and has a PhD in Cell Biology and Neuroscience from Yale University.

About General Atlantic
General Atlantic is a leading global growth equity firm with more than four decades of experience providing capital and strategic support for over 445 growth companies throughout its history. Established in 1980 to partner with visionary entrepreneurs and deliver lasting impact, the firm combines a collaborative global approach, sector specific expertise, a long-term investment horizon and a deep understanding of growth drivers to partner with great entrepreneurs and management teams to scale innovative businesses around the world. General Atlantic currently has over $84 billion in assets under management inclusive of all products as of December 31, 2021, and more than 215 investment professionals based in New York, Amsterdam, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Mexico City, Mumbai, Munich, Palo Alto, São Paulo, Shanghai, Singapore and Stamford. For more information on General Atlantic, please visit the website: www.generalatlantic.com.