Finding women at the pinnacle — steeped in a culture dominated by men — is a rarity. And to find an Asian woman there would seem like an impossibility in previous years, but its changing now and Asian women are dominating some of the top positions in big time corporates. Empowering times indeed!
One such iron lady is Daisy Veerasingham, who is definitely a true trailblazer to look upon. Having broken the proverbial glass ceiling awhile back, she proved her mettle on the global platform as well.
Veerasingham made media history after the Associated Press appointed its first-generation Briton of Sri Lankan descent as the news cooperative’s President and Chief Operating Officer (CEO) effective 1st January 2022, paving the way for her to replace Gary Pruitt, who is retiring at the beginning of next year.
The 51-year-old will be the first woman in AP’s 175-year history, by becoming the first person of colour, and first international citizen to lead the company. Her job scope will see her being in charge of all AP departments, including the editorial, business, and technological operations of the renowned news agency.
“With her experience, judgment and values, Daisy will be a terrific leader of the AP,” said Pruitt.
Since the news was announced, Veerasingham had thousands of well wishers worldwide. Each congratulating her on the appointment and wishing her the very best of luck as she embarks on her new role.
This is such great news for @AP! Congratulations to Daisy Veerasingham! She is the first woman, first person of color and first person from outside of the US to lead the AP in its 175-year history. https://t.co/Udel5suawM
— Anna Johnson (@Anna__Johnson) August 3, 2021
https://twitter.com/jongambrellAP/status/1422542720615256069?s=20
The Associated Press has just appointed Daisy Veerasingham as its president and CEO.
She will become the first woman, first person of color and first person from outside of the U.S. to lead the AP in its 175-year history.
It's a lot of firsts!
Great!https://t.co/SfOj6sV9r0
— Rosental (@Rosental) August 3, 2021
In 2004, Veerasingham became the sales director for AP Television News in London. She ultimately rose through the ranks to become the company’s director of content licensing and marketing across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia.
Moreover, she has also held the position of AP’s Chief Revenue Officer in 2019, and supervised the transformation of AP’s video division into a fully digital operation capable of providing multichannel live video.
The Associated Press is a non-profit, international news agency that focuses on accurate reporting. AP, which was founded in 1846, is the most trusted source of rapid, accurate, and unbiased news in all forms, as well as a critical provider of technology and services for the news industry. Every day, AP journalism is seen by more than half of the world’s population.
There’s no doubt that the bold woman is a leader with a deep understanding of AP’s operations and a clear vision for its future.
According to WPXI channel news, Veerasingham stated, “AP is probably on the most stable foundation as it’s been on in a very long time. I don’t believe the world should be concerned about The Associated Press’s future. Do we have any challenges ahead of us? Yes, we must diversify our revenue and maintain revenue stability in our core. But, due to our financial strength, I believe we will be able to do so within the next three years.”
Shattering barriers that have kept men in top positions for centuries and almost all of them white, I personally think it’s really high time for this baton to be passed on to a woman, who is very much deserving of an equal shot.
Veerasingham stands on her own two feet in the male bastion and we surely admire her for that!
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