At the helm at Reuters, this trans executive says she’s finally living in the light

Gina Chua, the newly appointed executive editor at Reuters, came out as transgender late last year. She’s now one of the most high-profile trans leaders in media.

Gina Chua has spent her life dedicated to telling stories. In her decadeslong career, she’s held leadership positions in newsrooms across the globe and has been a go-to expert on the business of journalism. Late last year, after a "private, internal and exploratory" journey, it was time to share her own story.

In an email to colleagues, she wrote: "I'm transgender. And beginning today I'll be living and presenting as what I know to be my true self 100 percent of the time."

Chua, 60, told NBC News her decision to announce herself to the world didn’t come as a flash of lightning, but as a slow burn. A feeling, she said, of, “I want to move out of the shadows and live in the sunlight.”