Pressure is mounting for news media brands across Europe to deliver sustainable revenue growth, but so is the pace of opportunity. In the AI era, audience behavior is shifting, traffic is becoming less predictable, and the margin for error is shrinking. Subscription strategies are under increasing scrutiny, and the publishers pulling ahead are not just building strong products, they are executing more sophisticated pricing, packaging, and lifecycle strategies. That’s where Mather works, and why we’re excited to partner with Berlin-based Selma Stern to support German publishers.
Selma has spent more than 15 years at the intersection of media strategy and execution. As Chief Customer Officer at Fortune and Chief Membership Officer at Business Insider, she built the machinery behind eight-figure subscription businesses, requiring equal parts commercial clarity and organizational discipline. Earlier, she served as Chief of Staff to Jan Bayer at Axel Springer and founded BILD POLITIK, a magazine spinoff of BILD, grounding her in the German publishing landscape. She also spent over seven years at BCG advising on consumer strategy and organizational transformation.
Selma brings both strategic perspective and operator experience to her work. In addition to her advisory work, she authors A Stern Look on Substack, where she explores how media organizations can sharpen their strategy and navigate what she calls the “Change Tax.” INMA calls her one of Germany’s leading voices on innovation.
Selma will be working directly with German publishers on the strategic and structural challenges that sit underneath subscription performance. She will collaborate with Ignaz van Hasselt, Mather’s Director of Europe, and a team of 70+ subscription, technology, and operations experts who work alongside publishers every day.
“Great journalism needs great business models behind it. Selma understands both sides of that equation, and we are thrilled to have her working alongside our team to help European publishers build for the long term.”
— Matt Lindsay, CEO, Mather
Mather, part of the European media conglomerate Mediahuis, has worked with more than 700 news brands worldwide, managing over $7 billion in subscription revenue and supporting nearly 500 news sites with Sophi, its AI-powered technology platform.
“Mather brings the data, the technology, and the track record. I bring an operator’s perspective. Together, we can help European publishers move faster and with more confidence than they have before.”
— Selma Stern, Mather Advisory Partner