Philip Thomas is Chief Executive of Ascential plc. He is also Chair of Cannes Lions, having been CEO of Lions Festivals for ten years, between 2006 and 2016.
He began his career as a journalist, working on national and international magazines and newspapers, and editing Empire, the UK’s biggest-selling movie magazine, before moving into publishing and becoming Managing Director of FHM worldwide, launching the iconic men’s magazine in more than 30 countries.
He was appointed Managing Director of Emap’s Australian and South East Asian division, based in Sydney for three years, before returning to the UK and being appointed Chief Executive Officer of Lions Festivals.
Philip is Chair of Media Trust, an honorary Fellow of the Institute of Practitioners in Advertising, and a Member of the BBC Advisory Board on AI Personalised Content. Philip was cited as one of the Agents of Change for Gender Equality by the UK's Management Today magazine.