You’re currently a Senior Visiting Research Fellow at Reuters Institute, what does that involve?

This must be one of the best roles, ever. I get to explore the big shifts underway in the media ecosystem, looking at how the environment, strategies, and organisations are shifting. Building off that, I can set out what needs to be done to build a strong future. The combination of academic depth, global research, and close access to the industry, offers an unbeatable foundation for building knowledge. We also do some unique executive education – in small groups, building off expert knowledge in the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism network, all in an Oxford setting.

Tell us more about your career. Can you share some highlights?

I’ve toggled permanently between working in the media and studying it. Now I do both at the same time. I started in publishing – books and then magazines. I financed my master’s by working freelance on a food magazine. Before I moved to Switzerland to do a PhD, I was publishing director for non-fiction at Random House UK. For my PhD I explored the relationship between organisation culture and strategy in the media, essentially why culture is so powerful. I looked closely at the BBC and CNN. I stayed in academia to do a second PhD, where I looked at disruptive innovation in the media, and what it takes to power through that. After that I moved into a blended career – working on boards in the media, visiting professorships in the UK, US, and Scandinavia, all the while researching writing and consulting. The highlights have consistently been where I feel I have added value. Either because a book or research report explains developments, reduces noise, and clarifies priorities, or when I make a tangible contribution to the success of an organisation and its leaders. 

What’s the most common mistake you see publishers making?

I’m a huge admirer of the magazine sector. It’s probably the most agile sector of the media, and the most sophisticated in terms of blending the imperatives of the creative and commercial side of the business. Because of its scale, it should be agile.

What does the future of publishing look like, and what’s currently inspiring you professionally?

I’m consistently inspired by my clients and media leaders who are dedicated to building a strong future for organisations truly facing a maelstrom of change. The media’s biggest asset is the calibre of people in it, and the leaders I’ve been fortunate to work with are conceptually top-rate, deeply committed, and creative too. I’m inspired also by my colleagues at the Reuters Institute, Oxford and their commitment to strengthening journalism, protecting it in parts of the world where journalists are under threat, and making newsrooms more representative. It is a privilege to work with them.  Finally, I’m amazed by the speed of change in the media world. We are at a pivot point. If you have a clear vision and visceral understanding of your audience and how to enrich their lives, there has never been more opportunity.

What can PPA Festival attendees expect from your session?

In a nutshell, I will be exploring how transformation in the external strategic environment is requiring transformation inside organisations, and how to go about that. The two big existential challenges facing the sector are finding growth and changing the internal organisation fast enough. Externally, we’ll look at options for growth, and then we’ll look at what needs to happen inside the organisation to make that happen, from getting leadership right and shifting culture, to having the right talent and harnessing the talents of millennials and Gen Z.