Quantum News
NEWS AND UPDATES ON QUANTUM PARTNERS AND PROJECTS
7 time winner: Quantum Media is again named one of “America’s Best Management Consulting Firms” in the Forbes/Statista Ranking
Quantum Media was honored again in 2026 as one of the top consulting firms in the US by Forbes and Statista for work in Digital Transformation.
Quantum's work has spanned strategic and tactical assignments in digital transformation across for profit and non-profit sectors . Lately we have helped our clients with AI questions and practices writ both large and small.
- Scale vs. Impact: Despite being one of the smallest firms on the list—with just three Principals and three Senior Consultants—Quantum Media continues to rank alongside global giants.
- Exclusivity: Only a fraction of a percent (which is 183 firms) of the 1.1 million consulting companies in the U.S. (estimate from IBIS) are named to the Forbes/Statista list each year.
- Peer & Client Validation: The ranking is determined by independent surveys of thousands of partners and clients, ensuring the results reflect real-world value and reputation.
Read the story and check out the full list in Forbes.
“We are honored that Forbes/Statista recognizes our expertise and value in this fast-changing sector,” said Quantum Media Principal Erica Gruen. “For more than 25 years, we have been trusted advisors to leaders of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies and fledgling startups alike. We are grateful to our peers and clients for voting for us again this year."
Read more about Quantum Media, including a list of clients.
Principals
- Alisha Alonso – Strategic planning, product development, M&A, media & information services
- Erica Gruen – Television and online content, advertising and marketing strategy, business development
- Ava Seave – Operating and strategic planning, audience development, non-profit management and strategy
Senior Consultants
- Judi Allen – Strategy, content distribution, advertising partner negotiations and measurement
- Gretchen Grant – Strategic growth consultant and C-suite fractional executive
- Jeremy Kagan – Growth and innovation and strategic advisor to startups and digital media companies
Founding Principals
- Christine Arrington – Strategic planning, launches and relaunches, international publishing
- Carla Graubard – Strategic planning, branding, CRM and partnership marketing
Advisors
- Harold Clarke – Book and Magazine Media Brands Executive
- Margaret Downs – Executive coach, strategic and organizational consulting
- Jean Hellering – Financial/business modeling and business analysis in publishing and direct marketing.
- Anne Kinard – Circulation, marketing, strategic planning, models, fulfillment
- Soo Koon Lee – Strategic, marketing, and operations for small to mid-sized businesses
- Touseef Mirza – Professional executive branding, corporate branding and brand identity
- Brian O’Leary – Executive Director of the Book Industry Study Group
As with all Forbes lists, companies do not pay a fee to be considered.
#managementconsulting #strategy #marketing #media
Brian O’Leary, head of Book Industry Study Group, wins lifetime achievement award from Publishers Weekly
Brian O'Leary, who is currently an Advisor to Quantum Media, but was a beloved Principal consultant here for many years before becoming Executive Director of BISG, is “being recognized for his successful 10-year tenure as the head of BISG, in an era when the industry has grappled with massive and near constant change.” PW editors have recognized O'Leary as a leader who has had “tremendous impact on the publishing business over the course of their careers.” Not to mention that he is truly a great guy!
Read the full story in PW.
#managementstrategy #publishingstrategy #welldeservedaward
Existential crisis for subscriptions? Quantum’s Ava Seave joins Babbel’s Julie Hansen at the subSummit Conference to consider the risks
Ava Seave and Julie Hansen, CEO of Babbel kick off the subSummit Conference (@SubSummit 2025) in a fireside chat keynote with a somber subject. They discuss the existential question: Even though subscriptions have been hailed as the greatest business model ever created for consumer and digital goods, providing convenience for consumers and brands with a predictable revenue, what if the companies have just overdone it? What if subscriptions are starting to be seen as a toll on consumers’ wallets, an inconvenience or even a predatory business model?
The most recent numbers that lead them to this are telling:
- Industry-wide median acquisition rates for subscriptions dropped in 2024 to 2.8% from 2021's 4.8%
- In the digital media and entertainment industry, subscriber acquisitions resulting from re-acquiring a subscriber who had formerly canceled is 1-in-4
- 73% of publishers offer both annual and monthly subscription plans, recognizing users need for flexibility, but complicating the sales process at the same time
To read more deeply about subscription trends, go to Recurly's 2025 State of Subscriptions and to Zuora's Subscription Economy Index, 2025. To find out about the subSummit, go here.
#managementconsulting #subscriptions #subsummit #subscriptioncommerce
