We’re excited to bring you the next installation of our “Meet the Team” interview series, where we share what our team members are doing to help media-rich industries across the globe. Today, we share our interview with Ronnie J.Willis from our APAC team.
Name
Ronnie J. Willis
What is your role at Naviga?
Vice President of Operations for Asia-Pacific
Where are you from originally?
Springfield, Missouri, directly in the middle of the United States.
Where are you located now?
Sydney, Australia.
What does a typical day for you at Naviga look like?
I’m having conversations with customers, working through technical goals with our services team, and discussing strategy with developers and product managers. I’m receiving a lot of different inputs, but the output is focused on one goal: Helping our customer partners get the most from their investment in Naviga.
What is most important to you outside of work?
Exploring the world with my partner, Cate; keeping up with my adult children and their busy careers; and playing music with family and friends.
What have you learnt about the media/publishing industry here in Asia Pacific?
This is where a lot of innovation in journalism is happening. Publishers in Asia Pacific are willing to break the old models and try new things. The best way to meet a challenge is head-on, and publishers in this region are willing to take risks and to explore new ideas.
What is the most surprising thing you have learnt about the industry in Asia?
“Asia” is definitely not a monolith. Wide diversity in languages, technical platforms and audience needs make it necessary for a technology partner to be present in the region, and to understand fully that one size does not fit all.
What can we expect to see in the media industry in the next 12-24 months?
Successful publishing companies will be tightly focused on audience — growing readership, retaining reader revenue, and anticipating shifts in audience demands. The challenge will be to focus less on scale and more on connection with readers. Having the right data will be key to this mission, and having the flexibility to adjust content strategies will be more important than ever.
Is there anything else you would like to share?
I’m very lucky to have a job that focuses on my two favorite subjects, news and technology. I believe deeply in the power of local media to shape a better future for the communities it serves, and am proud to work with a team that shares that belief and mission.
Thank you for sharing, Ronnie!