On June 12, the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce in New York was happy to welcome its new board member, Tomas Franzén, to his first speaker luncheon, held at Restaurant Aquavit. As the president and CEO of Bonnier AB, a family-owned Swedish media group with operations in 16 countries, Franzén gave an interesting presentation on the transformation of media. Addressing the pressures that traditional media companies face in an age of increasing digitalization, he said it is imperative that Bonnier continues to adapt to stay relevant and competitive.
“Today, 15 percent of its revenue comes from digital content; the goal is to double this number in the coming years,” Franzén added, citing an example of how the company is changing. To meet the growing demand for digital content, Bonnier now hires analysts and engineers alongside traditional journalists to be better positioned for the rapidly changing market. It is also striving to make the company a more collaborative organization. Even with a huge portfolio consisting of 360 brands, Bonnier maintains a commitment to its core values, which include a passion for media, freedom of speech and the power of the individual.