The Recipe for Becoming a Transformative Media Giant

Zillah Byng-Thorne, CEO of the media giant, Future plc, knows what it takes to take a business from the brink of collapse to an empire built on partnerships. Having faced, tackled, and overcome hurdles, Zillah is now expertly positioned to lay her advice on the table for those who are looking to solidify their media strategy and build an empire.

Laying the foundations

Sat comfortably on the stage at Affiliate Summit West in Las Vegas this week, alongside Founder of and Chairman of the Board at Acceleration Partners, Zillah inspired attendees with the story of her journey with Future plc.

Not only does Zillah have a background in finance, but she also holds a degree in behavioural change. This combination of tools means that Zillah has a clear understanding of the numbers and the commercial reality of the business, she also understands the importance of how working on emotional intelligence can build a business's strength.

Despite recognising that Future was on the brink of collapse, Zillah was ready for a change of pace. When Zillah joined Future in 2014, the company had lost 90% of its market capitalisation, but she saw beyond this and knew that the valuable content that Future was producing could be used to its advantage.

Strengthening the affiliate model

When planning a strategy for the future, it's important to look at what you’re doing now, and the communities you’re serving. Zillah and her new team realised that the content already being produced was guiding their audience to their next purchase, so if they could do more than this, and make their audience's lives even easier, they would be onto a winner.