"I would like people to be a little more courageous"

Unconventional are MK thought leaders by definition of this award. But within the illustrious group of professionals, there are definitely some parameters that are similar: Most of them have years, even decades of career behind them; they are well known and well networked in Switzerland. Nevertheless, Sandra Lehner can only be considered the surprise winner in the category "Research, Teaching and Associations" by superficial observers. Although she is only in her mid-thirties, she has already held numerous international positions in TV and social media. She has combined her experience in both industries to become an expert in digital storytelling. As a blogger and speaker, she is now more in demand than many "veterans" of her profession.She began her career in the tranquil town of Lindau on Lake Constance, where she attended high school. Sandra Lehner then went on to study German literature, law, art and media studies at the University of Constance. "I quickly asked myself what I was going to do with it," she explains with a laugh, "so she decided to take a master's degree in audiovisual media studies at the Babelsberg Film University. The program was half theory, half practice, as Lehner explains today - a mixture that still seems to suit her perfectly. Her TV professor took notice, supported her in expanding her knowledge in international master classes and getting to know film and TV professionals from all over the world. A stay at the World Media Festival in Banff, Canada, "changed my life," says the lively young woman. It was there that she realized: "I want to think outside the box, dedicate myself to trends that transcend national borders. "And then everything happened quickly: Sandra Lehner courageously decided to settle in London after finishing her thesis, "to emigrate from one day to the next. She found a job as an acquisitions assistant on the Thames, and in 2012 she joined a soccer channel on YouTube (at the time, the video platform was still being developed, not new territory, but also not as established as it is today).The interaction in the comment columns and the direct contact with viewers fascinated the MK mastermind: She realized that she had missed that in traditional TV. So she began managing social media channels for various British productions and expanding conventional TV storytelling into the digital space.Generation Z met her right there: At the interface between established and new media formats, Sandra Lehner sharpened her profile, learning all she could about the group of users who constantly jump back and forth between different platforms, but for whom linear media consumption is no longer an issue.Passing on her knowledge is now one of the storytelling expert's main occupations: she writes articles, travels from conference to conference and, in addition to her job as Head of Content Acquisition at Frequency, advises companies and startups on their social media presence and storytelling. Today, Zurich is her "home base," but Sandra Lehner has retained a cross-border perspective.That's why she sometimes wishes for more courage in the advertising and TV industry: "There's a certain conservatism in the Swiss market," Lehner says thoughtfully, "when it comes to new media and advertising formats in the digital space. "But new formats are needed: "I increasingly imagine Generation Z as digital nomads," she concludes, "who can work from anywhere in the world, are online everywhere." You have to smile at the circle that closes here, because: As a true forward thinker, Sandra Lehner is already living the digital cosmopolitanism that she has yet to forecast for others.Name: Sandra LehnerVintage: 1981Company: Frequency / Self Std.Function: Head of Content Acq. / ConsultantFamily: SingleHobbies: Zumba, musicals, travel