In September 2023, INMA awarded 30 young professionals around the world with its fourth “30 Under 30” award as part of its Young Professionals Initiative. This is the 10th in a series of 30 features about the impressive rising media stars who are shaping our industry. 

Bringing a unique blend of leadership skills, technological expertise, and innovative thought processes, Gerardo Garza Castilla already made significant improvements to Vanguardia MX’s operations. Since becoming chief product officer in January, his changes have helped double the number of registered users and triggered tremendous growth in Instagram followers.

With his mind always on efficiency, he also found ways to reduce payroll costs while at the same time restructuring the technology department, increasing Web traffic, and dramatically multiplying online ad revenue. But he knows there is much more to be done, not just as an individual publication but as an industry.

“One crucial aspect that needs improvement in the media industry is the way we connect with our users,” he said. “Ensuring our content is not only informative but also engaging and interactive, delivered in a way our audience prefers, is imperative to stay relevant and effective.”

As he continues cultivating a tech-savvy environment, Gerardo said he looks forward to creating an editorial team that harnesses the power of AI to create user-centric content, while at the same time driving digital subscriptions: “Embracing flexibility is key to keeping pace with the rapidly advancing digital era.”

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