Nordwest Mediengruppe published its first newspaper in 1946 and, over the past seven decades, has grown from being a regional daily newspaper to being the leading media company in northwest Lower Saxony in Oldenburg, Germany.

Melina Lohmann, who serves on the INMA Europe Division Board of Directors, is the company’s head of people and organisation. Despite the challenges publishing faced during 2020’s global pandemic, Lohmann is energised by the current environment in the news media industry and says she loves the challenges that each day brings, both personally and professionally: “I love my job, but I love my family even more,” she says. “It makes me stand up, [and] my job makes me feel additionally alive.”

INMA recently caught up with Lohmann to learn more: 

INMA: What did you learn in 2020 that helped guide you in 2021?

Lohmann: That jumping in at the deep end can often be better than a long learning processes. Corona presented us with digitisation on a silver platter, and our employees are coping splendidly with it.

INMA: If you had your career to do over again, what would you want to know in the beginning?

Lohmann: Nothing. I find being guided by the path the most beautiful part of my professional career.

INMA: What is the craziest job or project you’ve ever done in media — and what did you learn from it?

Lohmann: A Panini sticker book for children for all subscribers. After the train carrying the booklets crashed at the border with Germany, I had to bring over 120,000 sticker booklets to Oldenburg overnight by emergency transport and personally, with the help of colleagues, family, and friends, enclose and distribute them with the newspaper. [It was] an exciting experience.

It taught me that if you want to, you can move mountains with your colleagues even in difficult situations.

INMA: What success within your company are you most proud of right now?

Lohmann: Our new publishing building, which I planned and implemented as a duo together with our CEO. We have created a modern and great new place to work that has made a lasting difference to our corporate culture.

INMA: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your career?

Lohmann: Pragmatism will get you further than perfectionism.

INMA: What do you do to relax?

Lohmann: Lose myself in good books or work out in sports.

INMA: If you hadn’t gone into the news media, what was your backup plan?

Lohmann: To become a pastry chef and open my own café.

INMA: Have you read any books you’d recommend lately?

Lohmann: Since my son is just a few months old, I’ve been reading children’s books aloud non-stop — if anyone needs a tip for that, feel free to contact me.

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