On September 5, INMA awarded 30 young professionals around the world with its fifth “30 Under 30” award as part of its Young Professionals Initiative. This is the second in a series of 30 features about the impressive rising media stars who are shaping our industry.

Since joining The Dallas Morning News six years ago, Saher Merchant has established herself as an innovator with the vision and drive needed for success. As audience development director, Saher has built and mentored a high-performing team, focusing on key areas such as retention, lead generation, newsletter engagement, and audience growth.

For example, when the Dallas, Texas-based media company was looking for a way increase member engagement, Saher responded by developing a successful prescriptive e-mail marketing curriculum that incorporates personalisation. It is just one example of how she has consistently demonstrated forward-thinking leadership by implementing groundbreaking digital strategies that have significantly improved audience engagement and revenue growth.

One of her greatest strengths is her leadership style, which revolves around fostering a collaborative environment and actively listening to all participants. Saher loves to connect people and excels at building relationships, which has contributed to her reputation as a leader; it has also helped foster greater success by building a team-focused environment.

Although she has many ideas to contribute, Saher remains open to listening to new ideas and concepts from her team members. Her ability to remain composed, calm, and confident even in stressful situations, makes her enjoyable to work with and has further inspired trust and respect among her colleagues.

Saher is a proactive problem solver and a great decision-maker, leveraging data analytics to optimise content distribution and enhance the user experience. She has also shown incredible adaptability and resilience in navigating the rapidly evolving news media industry, allowing her to strategically manage constantly changing priorities and demands.

Perhaps what stands out most for her colleagues, however, is her passion and respect for the industry and her willingness to work hard to help improve it. She has earned respect throughout The Dallas Morning News for her knowledge and drive, and she will continue to break down walls, rise to the top, and propel the industry forward. Even as she continues building her career, Saher is already the kind of leader that many aspire to become.

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