Professor Thomson’s five-year mandate will begin on 1 January 2026.
Today, the CERN Council selected British physicist Mark Thomson as the Organization’s next Director-General. The appointment will be formalised at the December session of the Council and Professor Thomson’s five-year mandate will begin on 1 January 2026.
“Congratulations to Professor Mark Thomson on his selection as the next CERN Director-General from January 2026,” said CERN’s President of Council, Professor Eliezer Rabinovici. “I extend my heartfelt thanks to all the exceptional candidates. The outstanding qualities Mark Thomson displays give CERN Council assurance that he will successfully take his place in the line of visionary Directors-General who have guided CERN.”
“Mark Thomson is a talented physicist with great managerial experience,” said CERN Director-General Fabiola Gianotti. “I have had the opportunity to collaborate with him in several contexts over the past years and I am confident he will make an excellent Director-General. I am pleased to hand over this important role to him at the end of 2025.”
Source: CERN (read the entire press release)