Who we are

Better Leaders Lab was founded in 2023 at the intersection of media, technology, and leadership. We are a small, senior team working globally, with clients across Europe and the United States and team members based in Austria, Germany, Italy, and the U.S. Our work is defined by close proximity to executive teams and boards, combining strategic advisory and executive learning. We operate as a focused, international network, bringing together deep industry experience, strategic perspective, and hands-on work with leaders navigating transformation in the age of AI.

Anita Zielina – Founder & CEO

Anita’s focus is on advising and empowering executive teams and boards on strategy, transformation and future ready management in the age of AI. Formerly a news executive herself, she now serves on the boards of Mediahuis, FUNKE and the News Product Alliance. She is Executive in Residence at CUNY’s Newmark J School in New York and holds an Executive MBA from INSEAD, a law degree from the University of Vienna and executive fellowships at Stanford and Oxford. Anita lives in Vienna, Austria, with her husband and daughter and loves food, travel and the combination of the two.

Pauline Tillmann – Programm Manager

Pauline Tillmann works at the intersection of journalism, media innovation, and leadership. She is the founder of DEINE KORRESPONDENTIN, a digital magazine that has featured female correspondents reporting on inspiring women worldwide since 2015. After completing her traineeship at Bayerischer Rundfunk, she worked as a freelance foreign correspondent in St. Petersburg and later led projects for organizations including DW and CORRECTIV. Based in Konstanz, she has been Program Manager at Better Leaders Lab since 2023 and also works as a coach, consultant, moderator, and speaker.

Helen-Marie Hecker – Social Media & Digital Content

Helen is a journalist, foreign correspondent and digital communications professional with a talent for weaving engaging narratives. As Social Media & Digital Manager for Better Leaders Lab, she turns ideas on leadership and transformation into compelling content and community. Since 2015, she has reported from Italy for outlets including Frankfurter Rundschau and Deine Korrespondentin. She holds a degree in Linguistics and Political Science and lives with her family in Sicily — finding her best ideas somewhere between a long hike, her camera lens and the Mediterranean light.

Aldana Vales – Media Insights Journalist

Aldana Vales is an audience and product strategist focused on helping journalism prepare for what’s next. She leads key AI readiness initiatives at the News Product Alliance, coordinates the AI Journalism Labs at CUNY’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism and serves as the Media Insights Journalist at Better Leaders Lab. Previously, she managed audience research and engagement strategy at organizations including USA Today Co., The Atlantic and Documented, reported from the United States and Argentina, and coached newsroom teams across Latin America. Aldana is based in Washington, DC.

Barbara Steinhagen – Administration & Back Office

After twenty years in leading positions in international music companies, Barbara started her own company in 2017 and now serves her clients in her fields of expertise like finance, marketing, HR, organisation and any office tasks. An all-round talent in several languages, she enjoys a colorful work life and interacting with people. Originally from northern Germany, she has lived in Berlin, London and now Vienna with her family of five — husband, son and two Swiss White Shepherd dogs. She loves to travel, read and spend time with her loved ones.

Contact us for more information

hello@betterleaderslab.com