Sara is the Regional Digital Editorial Director for Prestige. On any given day, you’ll find Sara liaising with teams across Asia to develop content calendars, ensuring the curation of high-quality digital content, and implementing SEO-guidelines to drive traffic whilst also analysing readership data.
Can you tell us about your career journey at BurdaLuxury?
I have been with BurdaLuxury for close to a decade now, having started my journalism career as a dining and fashion writer at Prestige Singapore. I actually left after a couple years to join Lifestyle Asia Singapore, which at the time, was independently run. In a serendipitous twist (or maybe they just really missed me!), BurdaLuxury acquired the company shortly after – bringing me back into the fold. Since then, I have taken up various roles within BurdaLuxury’s digital titles including LSA and Augustman, and in 2023 came full circle when I was appointed in my current position as Regional Digital Editorial Director for Prestige.
What’s the most exciting part about your job?
No two days are the same – the digital news cycle never sleeps, so there’s always something interesting happening at any point in time. I’m so blessed with a capable and hardworking team who are full of fantastic ideas that translate into top performing stories on PrestigeOnline. Working with them is exciting and inspiring.
Have you been able to collaborate with other teams, if so, what project has been your favourite?
My team and I work closely with Augment, BurdaLuxury’s digital strategy and branding agency, on producing luxury yacht content for one of their clients. It’s a challenging but enriching project that has allowed us to take a deep dive into niche topics that we previously weren’t as familiar with. This has in turn also enhanced our creativity when it comes to story ideation for PrestigeOnline.
What’s a milestone that you’ve been proud of achieving?
Leading my team to achieve the highest traffic numbers PrestigeOnline has ever attained in its history, over the course of this and last year. I couldn’t have done this without my wonderful team members, who have worked hard in crafting well-written, SEO-driven stories – some of which went viral and helped us surpass our internal traffic targets.
What inspired you to work in publishing/media?
Growing up, I was the nerdy kid with her nose constantly buried in a book, and I loved penning stories and constructing elaborate fictional worlds. As time went by, my interests expanded to reading, writing, and learning about food, drinks, travel, pop culture, and fashion. So it was a natural decision to explore a career in lifestyle journalism that married all of my passions. I went to journalism school and also did an internship at a local lifestyle newspaper, which further convinced me this was something I wanted to do for a living.
Who were some of your biggest influences growing up?
My parents were my biggest influences during my formative years. They fully supported my decision to pursue the arts stream throughout my schooling days, despite this being the less prestigious academic route, and meant that I was unlikely to become a doctor or scientist. They recognised that I had zero interest or inclination towards math or science, and encouraged me to strive for excellence instead in other subjects such as English and Literature, which I was actually good at. When I started writing for print newspapers and magazines, my parents kept every single publication that contained my byline.
Why BurdaLuxury?
BurdaLuxury is where I started my career, so it’ll always hold a special place in my heart. It’s where I have been given many opportunities to learn and grow as a writer, editor and leader; and where I have met and been inspired by past and present colleagues I look up to. I also like the collaborative working culture within the company – we share resources and help each other out regardless of the print or digital title we’re attached to. On a personal note, BurdaLuxury is also flexible and family-oriented, which I greatly appreciate as a full-time working mum of (soon to be) two.
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