On October 28, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals around the world. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

Victor Tisnado discovered his passion for programming early in life, taking him down a path that has served his professional life extremely well.

“My journey started as a young programmer who loved Web design and development and all technologies related to the Internet,” said Tisnado, who is now head of digital subscriptions at Corporacion La Prensa in Panama and has worked at the company for more than 13 years. But he didn’t limit his learning to design and development; he looked for ways to learn about the entire industry.

“I discovered that cross-skills were the best way to improve my professional and personal life,” he said. “That is how I ended up leading teams with designers, programmers, journalists, and digital marketers.”

Tisnado’s eagerness to constantly add new skill sets has allowed him to hold many different positions at Corporacion La Prensa, including head of digital media, head of digital marketing, and head of creative multimedia. Now, in his role as head of digital subscriptions, he is tackling the new challenges faced in the areas of subscriber revenue strategy.

“Throughout my career, I aspire to continue to learn and grow into positions that will let me help the company’s strategies, making a positive impact on people in the process,” he said.

Tisnado wants to further develop his skills in digital marketing and delve deeper into digital transformation so he can be part of shaping the future of the news media industry. Already, he has been instrumental in positioning the company’s digital brands to allow them to compete against larger companies with more resources. The technical strategies he has developed and deployed have allowed the company to save money, and he has also invested time in providing training to improve the technical skills of his team.

As Tisnado continues progressing in his career, he is dedicated to supporting the under-represented groups and disadvantaged populations that are too often overlooked: “They need to have a voice or at least a space within news media that shows their reality. I can contribute to creating awareness from within the company about the need to include these groups.”

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