"Thomson Reuters Corp. is a fairly acquisitive company," David Shaw says, speaking in his rapid-fire New York accent, but sounding as understated as a Minnesota farmer. Acquisitive indeed! When Thomson purchased Reuters in 2008, the combined company became a global business information giant. And that was only the beginning.

Shaw notes that over the past 18 months, the company has increasingly targeted global deals, with its acquisitions having gone "from being 80% domestic to being 70% to 80% international." Shaw, who was treasurer of $7 billion Thomson prior to its acquisition of Reuters, now serves as treasurer and senior vice president of Thomson Reuters, which had $13.1 billion in 2010 revenue.

All that growth, along with a focus on international acquisitions, "has forced us to take a look around at how to make the right investment decisions," says Shaw. "We felt that we needed to modify our thinking as an international company."