Sir Anthony O'Reilly named Cannes Lions Media Person of the Year

Sir Anthony O’Reilly, 2008 Cannes Lions Media Person of the Year

Previous winners of this Award include: Tsuneo Watanabe, chairman and editor-in-chief of The Yomiuri Shimbun Holdings; Gunter Thielen, chairman and CEO of Bertelsmann; Lachlan Murdoch, deputy COO of News Corporation; Arnaud Lagardere, chairman and CEO of Lagardere Group; Sumner Redstone, chairman and CEO of Viacom; Gerald Levin, CEO of AOL Time Warner; Jean-Claude Decaux, president of JCDecaux Group; and Silvio Berlusconi, media magnate and prime minister.

The award, which pays tribute to a prominent personality from the worldwide media industry, is given in recognition of O'Reilly's leadership, since the early 1970s, of the fast-growing international media and communications group, Independent News & Media PLC, headquartered in Dublin, Ireland.

Interests worldwide

With interests worldwide, he has built a geographically unique and diverse portfolio of market-leading brands spanning four continents, 10 major markets and 22 individual countries. The company owns and publishes over 200 newspaper and magazine titles delivering a combined weekly circulation of over 32 million copies with a weekly audience of over 100 million consumers, with market-leading newspaper positions in Australia (regional), India, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa.

Titles include the UK national daily newspaper The Independent and the world's largest read newspaper, Dainik Jagran in India. INM is the largest radio operator in Australasia, with more than 130 radio stations; over 100 editorial and commercial websites and is the largest outdoor advertising operator in Australasia and Africa, with leading positions in Hong Kong, Malaysia, India and Indonesia.

"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 organization,” said Terry Savage, chairman of the festival.

Commenting on his award, O'Reilly said, “I am extremely honoured to join such an extraordinary group of people who have made an enormous contribution to the world of media”.

Profile

Born in Dublin, Sir Anthony O'Reilly was educated at University College Dublin and The Incorporated Law Society of Ireland. An honours graduate in civil law and a solicitor, he earned his PhD in marketing from the University of Bradford, England. His distinguished career includes serving as CEO of the Irish Dairy Board, launching and developing the international food brand ‘Kerrygold' and MD of the Irish Sugar Company, before joining the H.J. Heinz Company, one of the world's largest food marketing companies.

He retired as chairman of the H.J. Heinz Company in 2000, after leading the company for nearly 30 years, during which time the market capitalisation had grown from US$900 million to over US$15 billion. He succeeded H.J. Heinz II, a grandson of the founder and became the first non-family member to serve as chairman. During that time, he also became the first Irishman to lead a Fortune 500 Company.

O'Reilly is also chairman of Waterford Wedgwood PLC, one of the leading international luxury goods groups, whose brands enjoy worldwide recognition. He has also served on the board of The Washington Post, General Electric, Mobil Corporation (now ExxonMobil), Bankers Trust, Eircom PLC and The New York Stock Exchange.

A former international rugby player, having played for Ireland, the British and Irish “Lions” and the Barbarians, O'Reilly is the highest try scorer in the history of the British and Irish Lions.

Active in many cultural and charitable organisations, he is chairman and co-founder of the Ireland Funds, the largest worldwide network of people of Irish ancestry and friends of Ireland, dedicated to raising funds to support programmes of peace and reconciliation, arts and culture, education and community development in Ireland, North and South. To date, over US$300 million has been raised and distributed by the Ireland Funds. He is a key benefactor of Ireland's major educational institutions and separately, through the O'Reilly Foundation supports students in their academic endeavours worldwide.

The trophy will be presented to O'Reilly during the Press, Cyber and Design Lions Awards Ceremony on the evening of Wednesday 18 June, in the Palais des Festivals, Cannes.

For more information, go to www.canneslions.com.