Sheikh Hamad bin Thamer Al Thani is one of the most influential players in the Arab media world.
After working in several positions in Qatar's Ministry of Information and Culture in the late 1980s and early 1990s, the young, new leaders of the country decided to abolish this ministry and think globally.
Sheikh Hamad was tasked with founding the project that eventually produced Al Jazeera in November 1996. He was appointed Chairman of the Board of Al Jazeera Satellite Channel that year.
Ten years later, in the prelude to the launch of Al Jazeera English in 2006, the company renamed itself to be Al Jazeera Media Network.
Today his purview encompasses all of the channels under the Al Jazeera umbrella, in addition to the leadership of the Qatar Media Corporation.
Sheikh Hamad holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from Qatar University (1987).