Introducing the Consumer Revenue Group (CRG)
The Financial Times’ commitment to quality journalism is powered by the Consumer Revenue
Group (CRG), a diverse team of analysts, marketers, product specialists, creatives and more. They’re responsible for driving our subscription business and powering revenues that fund our editorial independence and global reporting. By combining commercial insight with customer-centric thinking, they unite around a shared goal: to deliver value to readers and drive business growth. In this blog series, we spotlight the people behind the work, their journeys, motivations, and how they’re building meaningful careers in one of the FT’s most dynamic global teams.
Our latest spotlight is on Luke Williams, one of the FT’s newer faces, who has quickly settled into driving Conversion and Onboarding for our B2C users. In just a few months, Luke has led major cross-team campaigns, brought fresh energy to our social calendar (including a Summer Sports Day), and leaned on his data skills to turn complex insights into clear business narratives. In this conversation, he reflects on the power of personality in collaboration, the value of bringing fun into work, and the exciting onboarding projects he’s spearheading for the year ahead.
You’re one of our newer faces at the FT. What drew you to join, and how have your first few months been?
Naturally, the FT’s reputation speaks for itself. It’s firmly in the upper echelon of the newspaper world, so it was a no-brainer when I saw that role advertised. Coming from another publication, I expected the transition to be smooth, but it also felt like a real step up. The first few months have been incredibly busy, but coming from a similar role, I was able to hit the ground running and get fully immersed within just a few weeks.
What does your current role involve, and what have you found most surprising or interesting about it so far?
So I look after Conversion and Onboarding of our readers. Essentially, getting registered users engaged and eventually to take a trial or a subscription, trialists to make the most of their trial and roll over to a subscription, and subscribers in their first 30 days to be as engaged as possible so that they’re in the best possible habit rate as they graduate into an In-Life state.
You’ve already started working across different departments. Can you share an example of a recent collaboration and what it taught you?
The best example of collaboration has to be our H1 and H2 sale campaigns. These are huge undertakings that bring together nearly every team across CRG. Success depends on us working side by side to shape and align strategies, consolidate them into clear source-of-truth GTMs, and secure leadership and stakeholder buy-in. It’s a true cross-team effort, and a great showcase of what we can achieve when everyone pulls in the same direction.
How have you found building relationships across teams as a new starter? Any moments that helped you feel part of the FT community?
The first few months were a little quieter as I focused on settling in, keeping my head down, and getting to grips with things. However I’ve never been much of a wallflower, so that didn’t last long. In my previous role I led the staff engagement committee, and I’d been eager to bring some of the fun we came up with to the FT. Earlier this summer, with my two colleagues, we hosted our first social Summer Sports Day which, I’m relieved to say, was a big hit - and more recently we hosted a live game of Traitors for CRG which involved a lot of lying, cheating and us being dressed in cloaks…
What’s a skill or strength you’ve brought from your previous experience that’s helped you hit the ground running here?
Well, other than my penchant for weird and wonderful social ideas. I'd say a level of data literacy (something my younger self would never have thought I'd say), I'm very comfortable with big sheets of data or dashboards, turning those into a narrative and presenting back to the decision makers of the business.
In your experience, what makes cross-functional collaboration work well, and what role do you like to play in that?
At the FT, I find the team brings genuine warmth and a personal touch to the way they collaborate.The best work environments are those where we move beyond unnecessary formality, interact authentically, and take a genuine interest in one another - whether that be work or personal lives. That kind of environment makes collaboration feel more natural and enjoyable. I like to think I bring a sense of fun and ease to cross-functional work, helping people feel comfortable and at ease when we’re working together. Doesn't hurt to get a couple of laughs in either!
What tips would you give to anyone applying for a role at the FT?
Do your homework and be ready to show your value. Bring your tangible skills and experiences to the table, and take the time to understand what the FT does and what makes it unique. Then translate your experience into how you can complement the role and contribute to its goals. Everyone wants the job, but the strongest candidates can show that it’s not just about why they want to work at the FT, it’s also about why the FT wants them too.
Looking ahead, what are you most excited to explore or achieve in your time at the FT?
There are so many exciting projects about to launch that I have led on this year, and I can’t wait to see how they take shape. From our brand-new US onboarding video to a completely overhauled onboarding email journey. I’m also really looking forward to seeing what new leadership will bring, with Jon Slade now at the helm!