Anchoring your brand when nothing else is stable, with Finola McDonnell

What does resilience really look like inside a 140+ year-old media brand?

In this episode of CMO Convo, we sit down with Finola McDonnell, Chief Marketing & Communications Officer at the Financial Times, to explore how a legacy publisher stays relevant in an era defined by AI, platform disruption, and shifting audience behaviour.

Finola shares how the FT differentiates between truth and trust — and why that distinction shapes everything from brand strategy to product decisions.

→ Why trust is a strategic asset, not just a value statement

→ How the FT balances AI adoption with human editorial oversight

→ What brand really means in a subscription-led business

→ How to lead teams through constant industry change

→ Why CMOs in 2026 should double down on core strengths instead of chasing every fad

This is a conversation about discipline, identity, and building a brand people do not want to leave.