Early Life and Education
David Kenneth Roy Thomson, 3rd Baron Thomson of Fleet, was born on June 12, 1957, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. He is the eldest child of Kenneth Thomson, 2nd Baron Thomson of Fleet, and Marilyn Lavis. He has a sister, Taylor Thomson, and a brother, Peter Thomson. David attended Upper Canada College and The Hall School as a child. He received his Bachelor of Arts (subsequently upgraded to an MA (Cantab)) from Selwyn College, Cambridge, where he studied History.
Rise to Success
Thomson's business career began as a junior associate at McLeod Young Weir in Toronto. He later worked in various positions within companies controlled by the Thomson family, including managing The Bay store at Cloverdale Mall in Etobicoke and as President of Zellers. He served as the Chairman of Simpsons (department store) under the Hudson's Bay Company. Upon the death of his father in 2006, Thomson became the chairman of Thomson Corporation and inherited his father's British title, Baron Thomson of Fleet. After the acquisition of Reuters in 2008, Thomson became the chairman of the merged entity, Thomson Reuters.
Key Business Strategies
Thomson's wealth is primarily derived from the Thomson family's controlling stake in Thomson Reuters, a global information services company. He also founded Osmington Incorporated, a real estate firm that acquires and manages commercial real estate assets.
Philanthropy
David Thomson is a patron of the Art Gallery of Ontario. He is also known for his art collection, which includes works by Rembrandt, J. M. W. Turner, and John Constable.
