Michael Brunt

Co-founder, HBM Advisory, UK

Michael is a marketing and customer strategist, non-executive director and board advisor. 

He was formerly General Manager of Times Newspapers Ltd, with responsibility for the financial performance and for setting and implementing brand strategies for long-term cross-platform growth. Under Michael’s leadership The Times and Sunday Times experienced their most profitable year ever and the biggest annual growth in subscriptions. 

Prior to that he was publisher and COO of The Economist where he transitioned the business from its dependence on advertising revenues online to a thriving subscription business with more than one million subscribers worldwide.

In 2021, Michael cofounded HBM Advisory, a specialist consultancy helping news organisations navigate the shift from legacy workflows and business models to sustainable, audience-centred, AI-enabled publishing. 

Michael is a graduate of Manchester University and an alumni of Harvard Business School.