European Business Media (EBM) Annual Meeting: Leaders Gather in Istanbul to Chart the Future of Business Journalism

The European Business Media (EBM) Annual Meeting recently concluded at the Hilton Istanbul Bomonti Hotel & Conference Center, bringing together top executives and editors from Europe’s leading business and financial publications. The summit provided a critical forum for tackling the industry’s most pressing challenges, from digital disruption and AI integration to navigating geopolitical and press freedom constraints.

Background: The EBM’s Enduring Mission

The EBM is an association of Europe’s premier business and financial media publications, carrying on a tradition established over 60 years ago by its predecessor, the European Business Press (EBP). The association’s core mission is to promote high professional standards, foster cooperation, and influence EU policies that ensure a healthy environment for independent business journalism across the continent. The annual gathering is a key platform for exchanging ideas on sustainable business models and celebrating journalistic excellence.

Key Highlights and Industry Recognitions

European Manager of the Year Award

The meeting’s highlight was the presentation of the European Manager of the Year Award. EBM President Xavier Bouckaert presented the prestigious honor to Merete Hverven, CEO of Visma, in recognition of her outstanding leadership and contribution to the European business landscape.

The State of Press Freedom and Global Challenges

The EBM addressed pressing geopolitical challenges directly, issuing a statement that expressed deep concerns about continuing restrictions on independent media in Turkey, noting the country’s 159th ranking in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF)’s 2025 World Press Freedom Index.

Global context was provided by:

• Hakan Güldağ, Chair of Nasil Bir Ekonomi, who offered an outline of Turkey’s broader economic situation.
• Tanya Snopko (CEO of Delo.ua) and Yuliia Bankova (Editor-in-Chief of Liga.net) who delivered a moving account of the challenges facing business journalism during wartime in Ukraine.

Deep Dive: The AI Age and Digital Transformation

A major focus of the event was the strategic adoption of new technology to secure future growth and audience engagement.

Strategic Growth and AI Integration

Leaders from major news organizations shared their forward-looking approaches:

• Lisa MacLeod (Director, FT Strategies) expanded on the Financial Times’ approach to growth.
• Chip Cummins (Chief Newswires Editor, The Wall Street Journal) presented how Dow Jones Newswires is strategically pursuing AI.
• A CEO panel on digital strategy featured insights from Peter Fellman (Bonnier News & Dagens Industri), Amund Djuve (Dagens Næringsliv), and Juha-Petri Loimovuori (Alma Media).

Digital Success Stories

The conference showcased several examples of digital excellence:

• Rasmus Emborg (Watch Medier Editorial Director) on thriving in niche verticals.
• Torbjørn Røe Isaksen (E24.no Political Editor) on delivering accurate breaking news.
• Jelisaveta Lazarević of Bloomberg Adria on building a successful regional business.
• Tom Lyons (CEO) & Ian Kehoe (Executive Editor) of The Currency on producing in-depth journalism.
• Richard Lander (Citywire Director) on using AI to build content engagement.

The Enduring Value of Print

The EBM also dedicated time to the strategic importance of physical and replicated editions:

• Harry Owen (City AM CEO) shared the success story of how the free paper returned to profitability.
• Jennifer Lachman (Managing Director, manager magazin & Harvard Business manager) discussed strategies for keeping print vibrant.
• Nikolay Malyarov and Trevor Carroll of PressReader presented the future of smart print replicas.

The EBM Annual Meeting reinforced the value of a collaborative European media community, successfully bridging the divide between geopolitical issues, digital innovation, and business sustainability.

Photos from the Conference