Insights from INMA World Congress: How Media CEOs Are Driving Bold, People-First Transformations
At the INMA World Congress, three powerhouse media leaders took the stage for the Global CEO Panel to answer one big question: What does it take to truly transform a media company today? Their answers were bold, honest, and refreshingly actionable.
“Nothing is Impossible”: DIE ZEIT‘s Path to 320% Growth
Dr. Rainer Esser, CEO of DIE ZEIT, kicked off the panel with a story of radical turnaround—one driven not by spreadsheets, but by human connection. When he stepped into a broken company 26 years ago, he tried something that seems incredibly simple but is often neglected by CEO’s: he listened.
Armed with his grandmother’s motto, “Nichts ist unmöglich” (“Nothing is impossible”), Esser made employee input the foundation of growth. That mindset, combined with five key principles, fueled a 320% increase in revenue:
- Innovation: Constant evolution isn’t optional—it’s part of the culture.
- Collaboration: Editorial and publishing teams are in sync, even if it starts with a conversation in the elevator.
- Organic Investment: No shortcuts—growth comes from within.
- Failure as Fuel: No mistakes, only learning.
- Top Talent: Great content starts with great minds.
Today, DIE ZEIT is experimenting with TikTok and reaching younger audiences with a 12-person social team. Esser’s philosophy? “Don’t focus on cutting costs—focus on building.”
Rewriting the Digital Playbook: Pulse Africa’s Social-First, AI-Enabled Strategy
Pulse Africa isn’t your traditional publisher. In fact, they rarely use that word. Their approach? Social-first content creation that moves fast and adapts even faster.
As CEO Katharina Link explained, the company was built from the ground up for a digital world—and they’ve already moved beyond what “digital” used to mean. For Pulse, success comes from being native to social platforms, not just present on them. Being early to TikTok helped—but now they’re pushing even further.
One of their most exciting experiments? The use of AI-generated avatars—or “digital twins”—of their reporters. With just a few minutes of recorded video, editors can create avatar versions of themselves to produce reels or explainers based on written stories. The goal isn’t to replace journalists, but to help them scale their voices and output. Reporters maintain full control over how their avatars are used, and transparency with audiences is built in.
That willingness to test, tweak, and refine is what makes Pulse stand out. If AI can help them do more, faster—they’re all in.
Tamedia’s Culture-Led Transformation: “The Print Party is Over—But Everyone’s Invited to the New One”
As CEO of one of Switzerland‘s most established media houses, Jessica Peppel-Schulz knows transformation isn’t just about strategy—it’s about people. For her, the most important KPI isn’t profit. It’s employee satisfaction. Because if your people are energized, motivated, and on board, the results will follow.
Peppel-Schulz is a self-described change agent, and she doesn’t sugarcoat the challenge: shifting a legacy print company into the digital age is hard. It takes radical clarity—about what’s ending, what’s beginning, and what the future could look like. But it also takes optimism. “It’s a new party,” she said with a smile, “and everyone is invited. So let’s dance.”
At Tamedia, change starts with:
- Radical clarity on the transition from print to digital
- New cultural rituals, like welcoming all employees—wherever they are on the change curve—to the “new party”
- Segmented teams and tailored programs to meet people where they are, whether they’re all-in or still figuring it out
- Learning from missteps, like early experiments with avatars that didn’t resonate with Swiss audiences—a reminder that innovation must fit the market
Successful transformation requires emotional intelligence, tailored change strategies, and a culture that welcomes people into the future—wherever they’re starting from.
Final Thoughts: Leading Media Transformation with Vision and Heart
The INMA Global CEO Panel made one thing clear: meaningful transformation in media isn’t about chasing the latest trend—it’s about leading with purpose, clarity, and courage. From DIE ZEIT’s 320% growth through people-first leadership to Pulse Africa’s boundary-pushing AI experimentation and Tamedia’s emotionally intelligent approach to cultural change, each story underscored that reinvention is not only possible—it’s necessary.
Success comes from embracing innovation, investing in talent, communicating clearly, and meeting both audiences and employees where they are. In the words of DIE ZEIT’s Dr. Esser, “Nothing is impossible”—especially when you lead with vision and heart.
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