ABOUT
Innovation. Integrity. Inspiration.
At The PA, we are here to inform and lead the conversation with trusted news, data and content for media businesses, digital platforms, betting and sport organisations, brands and the public sector.
PURPOSE AND IMPACT
We build trust in news, data and content
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An AI version of 'the hand of God' from Michelangelos Creation Of Adam is projected on the lastminute.com London Eye as part of a light display on London's Southbank to mark the launch of Samsung Galaxy S25 series. Issue date: Thursday January 23, 2025.Photo: Matt Alexander Media Assignments / PA22 Jan 2025
At the heart of the media ecosystem
Our purpose, to build trust in news, data and content, is the golden thread connecting our 150-year past to what comes next. The next chapter at The PA is about greater connection with our customers and industry. From training the next generation of journalists to building fast, accurate, verified platforms and influencing policy, we believe in the power of trust in a world where misinformation is all too common.
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Crowds gather to watch French performance company Gratte Ciel perform alongside Galway musician Anna Mullarkey, at the launch of the Galway 2020 European Capital of Culture programme in Galway, Ireland.Photo: Eamon Ward / PA18 Sept 2019
Supporting the industry beyond the newsroom
By investing in original newsgathering and trusted coverage at scale, we help other news organisations broaden their journalism and serve their audiences. As search, social platforms and AI change how information is discovered and shared, trusted source material and clear provenance matter more than ever. Professional journalism, data integrity, editorial standards and transparency about sources remain central to a healthy information ecosystem.
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Event organiser Kerry Watt stands underneath some of the 100 umbrellas suspended from Morningside Parish Church's ceiling, to create a colourful canopy on display during the Edinburgh Umbrella Festival. The church is hosting a two-week programme of community events to raise funds to restore its roof.Photo: Jane Barlow / PA29 May 2026
Making the case for trusted sources
We also work with government, regulators, technology companies and industry partners on the issues and policies shaping the future of the industry. That includes the sustainability of original newsgathering, the relationship between journalism, content creation and technology, provenance and transparency, media literacy, and the conditions professional news, content, sport and communications need to keep thriving.
Our values
Where heritage meets ambition
As much as the organisation has expanded over time beyond a leading news agency into a multimedia business covering news, content, sports and communications, the pride that our people feel for The PA makes it a special place to work.
Our renowned heritage is just as important to us as our ambitions. Every day people across the organisation are driven to uphold the values that have underpinned our flagship brand for more than 150 years. Those values guide how we work with each other and how we serve our customers, whatever the team or the technology. They are the foundation we build on as we look to the future.
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Ambition
We are driven and bold in our approach. Each of us is empowered to make a difference in the pursuit of excellence.
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Innovation
We stay curious, question the status quo and push boundaries.
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Integrity
We act fairly and honestly with colleagues and customers alike.
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Collaboration
Together we're stronger: we embrace diversity, communicate openly and respect one another.
HISTORY
Our company history
The mission at the heart of The PA is to remain relevant to all its customers in an ever-changing media industry. We have a long history of diversifying into emerging markets and capitalising on new technologies.
BIOS AND BOARD
The people leading The PA
Executive Team
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PA Media Group's Chief Executive Officer Emily Shelley poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Emily Shelley
Chief Executive
The PA appointed Emily as its Chief Executive Officer in 2024, the first woman to lead the organisation. Her appointment also reflects a career built at PA, beginning as a graduate news trainee in 1999. After working across editorial, commercial and management roles, Emily went on to lead content agency Sticky and stock image business Alamy. She joined The PA board in 2022 before becoming Chief Executive Officer two years later.
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PA Media Group's Chief Financial Officer Bruce Marson poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Bruce Marson
Chief Financial Officer
Bruce oversees the financial management of The PA. He was previously Group Chief Financial Officer at the global creative solutions company M&C Saatchi plc. Bruce has over 30 years’ experience working in international blue-chip businesses, including Technicolor, BBC, Dentsu, BT and British Airways.
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PA Media Group's Chief Technology Officer David Henderson poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
David Henderson
Chief Technology Officer
David leads technology across The PA, overseeing its end-to-end technology function and digital transformation. Before joining The PA, he held senior technology roles at Global and dmg media, as well as across the sport and gaming industries. David holds two software patents and is an advisor to Ada, the National College for Digital Skills, supporting efforts to attract more diverse talent into the technology industry.
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PA Media Group's General Counsel Louise Irwin poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Louise Irwin
Group General Counsel & Company Secretary
Louise leads The PA’s Legal department, overseeing commercial legal matters, regulatory and corporate compliance, and providing strategic counsel on investments and acquisitions. A specialist in commercial and intellectual property law, Louise joined The PA in 2013 from Wolters Kluwer. She became Group General Counsel in 2017 and joined The PA board as Company Secretary. She is also a director and board member of the News Media Coalition, an international not-for-profit organisation working to protect news content and media freedoms.
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PA Media Group's Chief People Officer Jess Taylor poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA23 Sept 2026
Jess Taylor
Chief People Officer
Jess Taylor leads The PA's people strategy, internal communications and leadership development. Jess joined The PA in 2018 and held several senior HR roles before becoming Chief People Officer in 2024. Previously, she worked in HR and talent roles at Tesco and Provident Financial Group.
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11 Mar 2026
Gareth Bramall
Chief Strategy Officer
As Chief Strategy Officer, Gareth leads Group-wide strategic initiatives, including acquisitions and transformation projects. He also has executive responsibility for Podium and StreamAMG. A chartered accountant, Gareth joined The PA in 2004 and held senior finance roles. As Divisional Chief Financial Officer of weather data business MeteoGroup, he oversaw its successful sale in 2014. In 2015 he went on to lead the Group's Data Services and then its data and streaming businesses, scaling operations and driving commercial growth before becoming Chief Strategy Officer in 2024.
Gareth Bramall on LinkedIn
Non-Executive Directors
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Chairman of The PA Murdoch MacLennan poses at The PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Murdoch MacLennan
Chairman
Murdoch was appointed Chairman of The PA in 2010, leading the Board and overseeing its overall effectiveness. He has held senior leadership roles across the media industry, including Group Managing Director of Associated Newspapers and CEO of Telegraph Media Group. He is also Chair of Mediahuis Ireland and the Scottish Professional Football League. Murdoch is a Director of the Competition and Markets Authority, Panel Chair of the Office for the Internal Market and a Trustee of Royal Museums Greenwich.
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PA Media Group Non-Executive Director and former Chairman of KM Media Group Geraldine Allinson poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Geraldine Allinson OBE DL
Former Chairman, KM Media Group
Geraldine has spent much of her career at board level in the news media industry, including thirteen years as Chair of KM Media Group, helping lead its development as an integrated multimedia news organisation. She has also held senior roles with the Newspaper Society, NMA, RadioCentre and Iliffe Media Group, and serves on the IPSO Appointments Panel. Geraldine was awarded an OBE in 2020 for services to local media in Kent.
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PA Media Group Non-Executive Director and Managing Director of The Irish News Group Dominic Fitzpatrick poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Dominic Fitzpatrick
Managing Director, The Irish News Group
Dominic joined the Irish News in 1998 and became Managing Director in 2008. He also served as Managing Director of Interpress (NI) Ltd, a newspaper printing company, which prints many local and national titles, and Chairman of the Northern Media Group, which operates the Q Radio network of seven local radio stations in Northern Ireland. In 2023, Dominic was appointed Chief Executive Officer of IntoMedia, the new umbrella group for Irish News, Q Radio and Interpress. He is a Trustee of Children in Crossfire, a charity which works to bring positive and sustainable change to the lives of children who are caught in the crossfire of poverty.
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Rebekah Brooks
Chief Executive Officer, News UK
Rebekah Brooks has been Chief Executive Officer of News UK since September 2015. Rebekah joined News International in 1989 as a feature writer for the News of the World’s Sunday magazine and rose through the ranks to become Editor of The Sun. From 2009 to 2011, she served as Chief Executive of News International. She returned to The PA's Board in September 2015, following her appointment as Chief Executive of News UK. She had previously served on the board in 2010 and 2011.
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Paul Dacre
Chairman & Editor-in-Chief, Associated Newspapers
Paul joined The PA's board in 2019. Formerly Editor of the Daily Mail for 26 years, he became Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers in 2018 and Editor-in-Chief of dmg media in 2021. He joined the dmg group as US Bureau Chief in 1979 and went on to edit the Evening Standard and Daily Mail, before becoming Editor-in-Chief of Associated Newspapers in 1998. His tenure included the launches of Metro and MailOnline.
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PA Media Group Non-Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Reach Plc Piers North poses at the PA office in Paddington, London.Photo: Jordan Pettitt / PA24 Sept 2026
Piers North
Chief Executive Officer, Reach PLC
Piers has nearly 30 years’ experience in the media sector, with a focus on digital transformation and revenue growth. He began his career in online journalism before moving into commercial and digital strategy roles. After ten years at Yahoo, Piers joined Reach PLC as Digital Strategy Director in 2014 and became Chief Revenue Officer in 2020, overseeing advertising and commercial revenues across print and digital. He was appointed CEO of Reach PLC in April 2025.
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Lord Carter CBE
Group Chief Executive, Informa plc
Stephen is Group Chief Executive of Informa plc and has held senior leadership roles across media, technology and communications. His previous positions include CEO roles at Ofcom and JWT UK & Ireland, as well as senior roles at Alcatel Lucent and ntl. He has also worked in government as Chief of Strategy to Prime Minister Gordon Brown and as the first Minister for the Media & Telecommunications industry, where he authored the Digital Britain Report. Stephen currently holds a number of non-executive roles, including at Vodafone, BolognaFiere Group and Norstella.
OWNERSHIP
Owned by the news industry we serve
The PA is backed by a consortium of 20 shareholders, made up mainly of UK and Irish news-media businesses.
Since 1868, The PA has helped customers inform and engage their audiences with confidence. We are rooted in the industry that we serve and trusted by organisations that rely on accurate information every day.
With shareholders across the media sector, we are connected to the needs, standards and pressures of modern publishing. This helps keep our work relevant, accountable and focused on the audiences our customers serve.
No single owner or agenda shapes our work, so our editorial independence stays intact.
Who are The PA’s shareholders?
The PA’s shareholders include the below UK news media businesses.
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DMGT
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DC Thomson
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News UK
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Guardian Media Group
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Telegraph Media Group
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Reach
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Informa
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Iliffe Print Cambridge
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Other publishers
The PA’s other shareholders are MGL2 Limited, Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Limited, Irish Times Limited, Sappho Limited, Newsquest Media Group Limited, Harbour Investments, Claverley group Limited, Irish News Limited, KM Holdings Limited and Agistri Limited.