Matthew Ryder QC is a barrister and founder member of Matrix chambers in London specialising in human rights, media, data and information, crime, and regulatory law. He was Deputy Mayor of London for Social Integration between 2016-2018 overseeing the Mayor’s community engagement, diversity and equality work and use of data. He has worked on a number of influential reviews including the ‘Lammy Review’ into racial bias in the criminal justice system, and has held numerous board positions including Chair of the UK’s Black Cultural Archive and governor of the University of the Arts in London.
Mary Ann Sieghart is a journalist and broadcaster, who has worked for The Times, The Independent, The Economist, The Financial Times and the BBC. She is currently chair of the Social Market Foundation think tank, senior trustee of the Kennedy Memorial Trust, and non-executive director of The Merchants Trust and Pantheon International. She spent the last academic year as a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. Until recently, Mary Ann was the senior independent director of Henderson Smaller Companies Investment Trust and sat on the Content Board of Ofcom and the Council of Tate Modern. She is currently writing a book about why we take women less seriously than men.
Alex Graham, Chair of The Scott Trust, said: “We are delighted to welcome Matthew and Mary Ann to our Board. Matthew’s extensive legal and policy experience and Mary Ann’s comprehensive media and business expertise will add depth and breadth to our board.
“These appointments bring fresh expertise as we continue to support the Guardian’s financial and editorial independence.”
Matthew Ryder said: “The Scott Trust plays a vital role securing the financial and editorial independence of the Guardian, a news organisation I have long admired. I’m very pleased to be joining the board at such a critical moment for journalism.”
Mary Ann Sieghart said: “I’m honoured to be joining the Scott Trust, a fantastic organisation which supports one of the world’s leading liberal news organisations. I look forward to working with the board to support the Guardian’s future ambitions and goals.”
Guardian Media Group chief executive Annette Thomas, has also been appointed to the Scott Trust board. Annette has a 25-year track record in leading global publishing and data analytics businesses, across academic, educational and consumer media. Prior to the Guardian, Annette was chief executive of Web of Science Group, where she successfully led the company to list on the New York Stock Exchange as part of Clarivate Analytics.
Since its formation in 1936, The Scott Trust’s core purpose has been to secure the financial and editorial independence in perpetuity of the Guardian, of which it is the owner. The Trust’s unique ownership structure ensures a long-term, commercially sustainable future for Guardian journalism.
Other Scott Trust board members include Alex Graham, Katharine Viner, Emily Bell, Catherine Howarth, David Olusoga, Stuart Profitt, Vivian Schiller, Russell Scott, Ole Jacob Sunde and Nils Pratley.
