In December 2023, INMA and Google News Initiative (GNI) awarded their fourth annual Elevate Scholarship to 50 news media professionals from 31 countries. This series features these impressive media professionals who are shaping our industry.

As head of growth and product at Singapore’s Initium Media, Yvette Kwok has made impressive strategic changes that have transformed operations. Merging audience development with product and tech, she established a new department that led to substantial revenue growth through subscriptions, paid ads, product development, and successful grant applications.

She also spearheaded an innovative AI Instant News project that secured grants from the 2023 AI in Journalism Challenge. This project, which provided support to Initium’s instant news desk, is just one example of her ability to navigate complex media landscapes, foster growth, and harness emerging technologies to advance the industry.

Lulu Ning Hui, editor-in-chief at Initium Media, said Yvette’s presence and leadership have redefined the company’s revenue side in just one year:

“Her swift and impactful contributions have significantly enhanced our subscription base, product offerings, data analytics, and overall newsroom efficiency,” she said. “I am confident her innovative spirit will continue to propel our media organisation to unparalleled success.”

Yvette is also looking to the future, eagerly seeking out ways to deepen her expertise in subscription strategies and data-driven optimisation while exploring the company’s options of subscription vs membership models.

“Additionally, I seek to excel in product development through continuous learning in the latest innovation trends. My goal is to create engaging products that drive subscription growth, impacting the Chinese media industry and global Chinese audience,” Yvette said.

She also wants to harness data for segmentation and personalisation using specialised tools.

As an Elevate Scholarship recipient, she is particularly interested in receiving leadership coaching and networking, which she said will help her navigate challenges within the industry more effectively: “I hope this scholarship will equip me with valuable skills, benefiting both my personal growth and the future development of Initium Media, the unicorn Chinese digital media.”

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