Kristina Partsinevelos (MBA 2016) has won the Tim-Eisenmann award for best speaker at the 2017 MBA World Summit in Berlin.
The Summit is an annual event set up in 2014 that brings together 100 of the most talented MBA students and alumni from business schools across the world. The Tim-Eisenmann award, named after its first recipient, recognises MBAs who exemplify leadership through their presentation, and the winner is nominated and voted on by the Summit’s attendees.
‘They had over 2000 applications to attend the Summit, and I went through two rounds of interviews to be selected, including a video interview’ said Kristina. ‘There were MBAs from a really diverse range of backgrounds, so it was a fantastic opportunity to expand our networks.’
Kristina, journalist, producer and TV news anchor, was one of 25 MBAs to speak at the event, and her talk was titled Dating the Media: the guide to getting your company noticed. ‘As a TV journalist I have an unusual background for an MBA, and it means I can offer some unique insights into how companies and starts ups should pitch themselves to media outlets. My advice centred on a top ten list of best practices, as well as anecdotes from my career.’
The most important advice Kristina can give to businesses seeking media attention is to consider the human interest angle. ‘Think of how it will relate to the general population,’ she said, ‘obviously you will have data and figures that you are proud of. But even if the journalist is a financial guru, if they can’t see an engaging story it just won’t resonate with them, and you won’t get the coverage you’re after. Another aspect that is crucial for TV is the visual element, so ask yourself – how will this story look on screen? But perhaps most importantly: don’t give up. Because I certainly don’t often respond to the first pitch, so just keep trying.’
When Kristina reflects on today’s rapidly changing media landscape, she believes companies seeking positive press coverage now face a greater challenge to get themselves noticed. ‘It’s very difficult to stand out,’ she said, ‘because everybody can be a publisher, and there are so many independent sites that your press release or comment can get completely washed away with all the noise that’s out there. Nailing your pitch is now more important than ever.’