Sonali Verma

Generative AI | Digital transformation | Recurring revenue

Greater Toronto Area, Canada Contact Info
3K followers 500+ connections

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Self-employed

About

Artificial intelligence, reader revenue, content strategy and audience growth consultant. Built a multi-million dollar sales pipeline from scratch; oversaw product, customer success, marketing and business development for Sophi, a multiple award-winning machine-learning system. Shaped digital strategy through data at Canada's national newspaper via innovation, leadership, audience development and conversion. International business journalist with more than 20 years' experience developing content, analyzing data, undertaking culture change and managing a B2B SaaS product.

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Activity

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Experience

  • Media and Technology Executive Consultant

    Self-employed

    - Present 1 year 3 months

    • INMA Generative AI initiative lead
    • Digital transformation projects for companies such as The Financial Times' FT Strategies
    • Advisor to Harvard's Shorenstein Centre on Media, Politics and Public Policy News Lab

  • Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism Graphic

    Visiting Fellow, University of Oxford

    Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism

    - 3 months

  • Sophi

    Sophi

    4 years 7 months

    • Sophi Graphic

      Director, Business Development

      Sophi

      - 1 year 6 months

      Toronto, Ontario, Canada

      Overseeing business development, marketing and the Sophi site automation product. Working closely with global publishers who need reader revenue without giving up advertising dollars; a first-party data strategy; subscriber retention tech; or culture change towards a data-driven newsroom.

    • Sophi Graphic

      Director, Customer Success

      Sophi

      - 1 year 9 months

      Toronto, Ontario, Canada

      Helping publishers use Sophi to transform their business and bring about data-driven culture change.
      • Designing and executing iterations of successful training programs for global clients
      • Using their feedback as input for training and product improvement
      • Overcoming cultural resistance and data phobia, making analytics easily accessible

    • Sophi Graphic

      Senior Product Manager, Analytics

      Sophi

      - 1 year 6 months

      Toronto, Canada Area

      Working intensively with disparate stakeholders and a team of developers to envision, build and ship data analytics and machine-learning software

  • The Globe and Mail

    The Globe and Mail

    10 years 4 months

    • The Globe and Mail Graphic

      Deputy Head of Audience

      The Globe and Mail

      - 2 years 4 months

      Toronto, Canada Area

      • Understanding reader behaviour
      • Developing subscription strategy, registration strategy and reach strategy
      • Teaching the newsroom about metrics: Which ones matter, how to track them
      • Developing strategy for new platforms and SEO; overseeing execution

    • The Globe and Mail Graphic

      Senior Editor, Audience Engagement

      The Globe and Mail

      - 1 year 7 months

      Toronto

      • Managing the teams that run the Globe and Mail's homepage and the Report on Business homepage
      • Managing our social media team and developing social media strategy
      • Strategic planning for The Globe's digital properties; coordinating with Marketing, Advertising Sales and other departments
      • Developing a subscriber audience
      • Monitoring and driving web traffic to digital assets
      • Developing talent

    • The Globe and Mail Graphic

      Digital Editor/Investment Editor, The Globe and Mail

      The Globe and Mail

      - 6 years 6 months

      Toronto

      • Managing a team of 15 editors who run the Report on Business and Globe Investor suite of websites
      • Managing a team of half a dozen Globe Investor reporters
      • Strategic planning for Globe Investor's digital properties; coordinating with Marketing, Advertising Sales and other departments
      • Monitoring and driving web traffic to digital assets
      • Writing market/research updates for equities
      • Generating and assigning stories to reporters
      • Planning, editing articles for the…

      • Managing a team of 15 editors who run the Report on Business and Globe Investor suite of websites
      • Managing a team of half a dozen Globe Investor reporters
      • Strategic planning for Globe Investor's digital properties; coordinating with Marketing, Advertising Sales and other departments
      • Monitoring and driving web traffic to digital assets
      • Writing market/research updates for equities
      • Generating and assigning stories to reporters
      • Planning, editing articles for the Globe Investor section in print
      • Developing talent

  • Bloomberg Graphic

    Editor

    Bloomberg

    - 2 years

    Toronto

    • Handled copy filed by reporters -- structural editing as well as editing for style
    • Generated story ideas

  • CNBC Graphic

    Senior Producer

    CNBC

    - 1 year 7 months

    Singapore

    • Involved in key hiring decisions for CNBC's Asia operations.
    • Oversaw three to five separate production teams.
    • Wrote and edited scripts for several hours of programming a day.
    • Recommended questions for anchors/interviewers to ask

  • Reuters Graphic

    Reporter/Editor

    Reuters

    - 5 years

    Delhi, London, Hong Kong, Singapore, Manila

    • One of 10 young journalists chosen from across the world for Reuters' Graduate Trainee programme in London
    • Reported on business news as well as key general news events, such as the world's largest elections, in India
    • Deputed temporarily to Hong Kong to work on the Asia Desk ahead of the 1997 handover to China
    • Worked for three years on the Asia Desk after it was moved to Singapore
    • Deputed to Manila for two months to work as an editor handling copy from a bureau of a dozen…

    • One of 10 young journalists chosen from across the world for Reuters' Graduate Trainee programme in London
    • Reported on business news as well as key general news events, such as the world's largest elections, in India
    • Deputed temporarily to Hong Kong to work on the Asia Desk ahead of the 1997 handover to China
    • Worked for three years on the Asia Desk after it was moved to Singapore
    • Deputed to Manila for two months to work as an editor handling copy from a bureau of a dozen reporters

  • Audit

    Arthur Andersen

    - 1 year

    New Delhi

    Trainee accountant

Education

Volunteer Experience

  • Local Media Association Graphic

    Board Member

    Local Media Association

    - Present 2 years 6 months

    The Local Media Association focuses on helping media companies discover new and sustainable business models. It provides services such as training, research, education, conferences, advocacy and partnership opportunities to executives at 3,000+ newspapers, broadcasters, digital news sites and R&D partners.

  • News Decoder Graphic

    Board Member

    News Decoder

    - Present 9 months

    Education

    News Decoder is a global educational news service for young people. It helps them develop internationally recognized citizenship competencies, including the ability to communicate, appreciate diverse perspectives, think critically about global issues and identify solutions to problems.

  • Online News Association Graphic

    Judge, Online Journalism Awards

    Online News Association

    - 2 months

    Reviewing and rating entries in the General Excellence category for the 2023 Online Journalism Awards

  • WAN-IFRA Graphic

    Mentor; part of braintrust of media mentors

    WAN-IFRA

    - 1 year 5 months

    Working closely with leaders in media organizations as part of the Media Mentoring Programme, Arab Region

  • President

    Thistletown Village Association

    - 10 years

    Head of the local residents' group, which advocates for our interests to the municipal government and organizes neighbourhood events.

  • Teacher

    Chinmaya Toronto

    - 1 year 10 months

    Education

    Language teacher for children and grandchildren of Indian immigrants

Honors & Awards

  • Sophi: Best Paid Content Strategy

    WAN-IFRA, the World Association of News Publishers

    This global award recognizes publishers who have adopted digital media and mobile strategies as part of their total product offering to meet the changes in how people consume news and information today.

  • Sophi: Best Use of Data to Automate or Personalize, and Best in Show for North America

    The International News Media Association

    These global awards recognize breakthrough results, unique concepts, strong creativity, innovative thinking and synergies across platforms.

  • Sophi: Award for Technical Innovation in the Service of Digital Journalism

    Online Journalism Award

    The Online Journalism Award are the only comprehensive set of journalism prizes honouring excellence in digital journalism around the world

  • Sophi: World Digital Media Award for Best Digital News Start-Up

    WAN-IFRA, World Association of News Publishers

    This global award recognises publishers who have created ground-breaking digital products that engage readers while growing their online business.

  • Sophi: Best Digital News Start-Up in North America

    WAN-IFRA, World Association of News Publishers

Languages

  • English

    Native or bilingual proficiency

  • Hindi

    Native or bilingual proficiency

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