Executive Exchange: Interview with Tracy De Groose, CEO of William Reed

In this Executive Exchange conversation, Adriana Whiteley, Director at FT Strategies, sits down with Tracy De Groose, CEO of William Reed, to discuss how one of the UK's leading B2B information businesses is redefining what it means to be a publisher.

Drawing on her experience leading transformation across media and marketing, Tracy shares why publishers should think beyond channels and products, how AI is changing the role of journalism, and why intelligence, talent and community will become increasingly valuable sources of competitive advantage.

Key discussion points:

Beyond publishing: becoming an intelligence business

Tracy explains why she believes William Reed should be viewed not as a publishing company, but as an information business serving the global food and beverage industry. Rather than defining the organisation by editorial, events or data products, she argues that these capabilities work together to create something far more valuable: deep sector intelligence.

Building an intelligence flywheel

The discussion explores how editorial, events and proprietary data reinforce one another to create richer insights for customers. By combining journalism, event content and specialist expertise, William Reed is developing what it describes as its "Food Brain", a connected intelligence platform designed to generate increasingly predictive and valuable insights for the industries it serves.

Investing in AI and people together

While William Reed has made significant long-term investments in AI, technology and data infrastructure, Tracy argues that talent remains the true differentiator. She explains why organisations investing in AI must invest equally in people, enabling journalists and subject matter experts to apply technology in ways that create lasting competitive advantage.

Balancing today's priorities with tomorrow's opportunities

Leading transformation requires organisations to balance immediate performance with long-term goals. Tracy highlights the importance of making strategic investments for the future while still meeting current demands. She also explains how family ownership allows William Reed the flexibility to develop capabilities that may take years to fully realise their value.

Turning strategy into action

A strong strategy should be simple enough for everyone to understand. Tracy shares how William Reed has developed a single, organisation-wide strategy that aligns teams around common objectives, helping every employee understand how their work contributes to long-term business outcomes.

Why community will always matter

As AI reshapes how information is created and consumed, Tracy argues that trusted expertise and human connection become even more valuable. From specialist journalists to industry events and communities, she explains why direct relationships, first-party data and expert judgement remain essential differentiators, summarising the philosophy simply: "Community beats algorithm."

Why it matters

As AI accelerates change across the media industry, organisations are being challenged to rethink not only how they create content, but also how they define the value they provide.

This conversation offers practical insights into building resilient information businesses by combining deep expertise, long-term strategic thinking and connected customer experiences. It provides valuable perspectives for leaders seeking to transform their organisations while strengthening the communities they serve.

Interested in more Executive Exchange conversations? Watch our interview with Jon Slade, CEO of the Financial Times, on leading through disruption, AI and the future of trusted journalism.