Azhar Rafee is the founder of RMG. Prior to starting RMG in September 2008, Azhar worked as Executive Vice President at Thomson Reuters.
At Reuters, Azhar started and managed the company’s global paid and advertising-supported consumer media business in 2004. This business offered News, Investing and Business information through web (www.reuters.com), mobile, TV and IPTV to Affluent Professionals in North America and Europe.
In 2006, Reuters asked Azhar to relocate to Asia to expand the media business footprint in China, India, Japan, and the Gulf markets. In this role Azhar relaunched Reuters Japan interactive business and initiated Reuters consumer media businesses in China and India. Azhar also managed Reuters investment in TimesNow – an Indian TV joint-venture with the largest local publisher Bennett & Coleman – and helped the channel take the no. 1 spot in the English news genre in the country. As part of strategic growth plan, Azhar spearheaded and closed Reuters investment in ChinaWeb (Hexun), China’s leading business/investing portal.
Azhar joined Reuters from Multex, Inc, a financial media company, where he was head of global marketing and branding. Before Multex Azhar worked at RR Donnelley Financial’s marketing and strategy unit. He started his career at M.A.I.D Systems (Market Analysis Information Database, Ltd.) Azhar has an MBA from Columbia University in New York. Azhar is now based in Hong Kong.