Financial Times: Strategies for Growth

Lisa MacLeod brings more than 25 years of international experience in digital transformation and newsroom leadership to the Nordic Media Days. In this keynote, she shares actionable insights from the Financial Times’ acclaimed journey from a predominantly print organisation to a thriving digital-first, reader-centric model.

Central to this success was the group’s “North Star” strategy, aligning the entire organisation around clear, long-term goals and measurable outcomes, helping the FT surpass its target of one million subscribers ahead of schedule. She explains how simplifying metrics - like Customer Lifetime Value (CLV), RFV (Recency, Frequency, Volume), and Quality Reads - empowered teams to make better decisions and fostered a culture of experimentation across editorial and commercial departments.

The FT’s journey also involved transforming newsroom culture, embedding data into editorial processes, and prioritising reader-centric content strategies. This approach enabled sustainable growth, reduced reliance on advertising, and strengthened the link between journalism and business performance. Join her keynote for practical lessons in aligning strategy, metrics, and newsroom practices to build resilient, reader-focused media organisations.