Sara Palmbush, PR and Communications Manager at Fourthline, discusses the company’s planned merger with Veridas, the enduring power of earned media and human storytelling in the age of AI, and how Meltwater supports efficient brand measurement, media reporting, and journalist outreach.
1. What was your personal PR highlight of 2026?
2. What might surprise comms leaders in the next two years?
3. What is something you believe about AI in the communications industry that some communication professionals probably would disagree with?
4. What is the biggest benefit of using the Meltwater platform for your team?
1. What was your personal PR highlight of 2026?
This month was a major PR & Communications moment for Fourthline as we announced the signing of a merger agreement with another digital identity provider, Veridas. The KYC (Know-Your-Customer) and AML (Anti-Money-Laundering) technology space has been in demand because of the growing need both regulatory and social, to identify people as humans and to make sure those humans are who they say they are. You can imagine how valuable this is in a world of AI, bots and deepfakes.
We’ve been chipping away from a communications perspective on getting the word out about what Fourthline does, its role in creating trust in the digital world, and it’s always rewarding when there is a big PR moment that generates the kind of interest you’ve been working towards.
2. What might surprise comms leaders in the next two years?
I’ve been pleasantly surprised at the way earned media and thought leadership have been validated by LLMs. As a former journalist and someone who has worked in the publishing industry, it was disheartening to see the way ‘content’ was taking the place of well-reported and researched stories. It’s also interesting to see how despite everything becoming digital, we have never collectively been communicating more. As new tools are invented, we will continue to use new ways of communicating, but like I always say, people aren’t interested in things. People are interested in people. That will never change. Prediction: People and their stories will still be here in the next two years.
3. What is something you believe about AI in the communications industry that some communication professionals probably would disagree with?
I love using AI for research and reporting. However, I think it’s dangerous to use AI too often for writing content. I believe it comes at the cost of creativity. We will all sound polished, sure. But we will become less interesting. I got into the business of communicating because I like humans. Our task is to stay human.
4. What is the biggest benefit of using the Meltwater platform for your team?
We use it for our brand measurement and our media reporting, as well as media outreach. It definitely saves time for us in creating and sharing reports and insights and has been a great way to find the right reporters for pitching.
About Sara Palmbush
With more than 20 years of experience in public relations, communications strategy, and campaign execution, Sara Palmbush leads PR and Communications initiatives at Fourthline, one of Europe's leading KYC and AML technology providers, serving customers including Revolut, N26, Trade Republic, and Rabobank.
Drawing on deep expertise in thought leadership, corporate communications, and strategic storytelling, Sara develops impactful narratives that strengthen brand positioning and support broader business and marketing objectives.
Before moving into communications, Sara built a career as a technology journalist, providing a unique editorial perspective and an extensive network of media contacts across EMEA and North America. This background has enabled her to translate complex ideas into compelling stories that resonate with journalists, stakeholders, and customers alike.
