What was your challenge?

I took the program in 2009, and during that year (a very difficult year for the industry) we needed to reduce the size of the newsroom, cut expenses and make a profit but at the same time also grow our audience both in print and on the Web.

What were your results?

Well, 2009 was the first year we made a profit since this newspaper was launched in 2003. For over five years Al Día was a six-day/week, Monday through Saturday publication with an average daily circulation of 30,000 copies. With the new business model we now publish twice-a-week with a weekly circulation of 215,000. And, of course, we continue to maintain our website with new content everyday. We've turned things around and we're very happy about it.

How did Sulzberger impact your results?

Many of the strategies I used in the newsroom were based on concepts and tools that I was learning at Columbia. The faculty and advisors teach you how to approach change, how to complete projects, how to spur innovation and how to get your team involved.

The level of the coaches and the faculty is amazing. And when you are part of the program, you also have a network of Fellows that help you on your challenges. You can pick up the phone and ask other Fellows how to do this in Boston, New York, or some of the other markets. That's like having additional consultants working with you on your challenge. I think that's really the key. And that's very different from many other programs out there.

This program is based on producing an outcome, on measurable performance and accountability. The coaches and the faculty helped me develop metrics and made sure my challenge was achievable and relevant to the company. In order to do that each of us needed to develop metrics to measure progress and stay on track. One of the basic principles is defining how success is going to look like when you complete the program.

The premise of the program is that you'll deliver a tangible result to your company. Throughout the program, you're doing real work for the company. So for them, it's not an expense. It's an investment.