MUMBAI: Global news agency Reuters has appointed Alexander Hungate as Asia MD effective 1 January 2006. In this role he will lead the regional team responsible for Reuters business activities in Asia.

He will be managing annual revenues of about £420 million and 3,600 staff across more than 19 countries in the Asian region.

Most recently, in his role of chief marketing officer for the Reuters Group, Hungate completed a refocusing and reinvigoration of the brand and a transformation of marketing capabilities at Reuters. Before becoming chief marketing officer, Hungate was President of Focus Group Accounts, responsible for sales to the largest customers worldwide. Prior to this, he was Reuters America co-CEO with joint responsibility for Reuters business in the USA. He joined Reuters in 1993 and worked at Reuters New Media in New York in the early days of the internet.

Before joining Reuters in 1993, Hungate worked on strategy projects at Booz Allen & Hamilton in Europe, Asia and in America, advising clients in the media and high technology industries.

Reuters Group CEO, Tom Glocer said, “Having just completed plans for accelerated growth in China and India, Alex is now well placed to drive the implementation of these plans and can quickly assume his broader responsibilities across Asia."

Hungate is based in Hong Kong and reports to Reuters MD, global sales and service operations, Christopher Hagman. Hagman said that he was pleased that Alex with his global experience of managing strategic aspects of Reuters financial business for 12 years, is now in Asia, running a rapidly changing and high growth region.

“He has shown that he can generate growth in his prior channel roles as Head of Focus Group Accounts and Co-Head of the Americas,” Hagman said.

Reuters has 15,300 staff in 91 countries, including staff from the acquisition of Moneyline Telerate in June 2005. It also includes 2,300 editorial staff in 196 bureaux serving 129 countries, making Reuters the world’s largest international multimedia news agency.