Michael Mansard is Principal Director of Subscription Strategy at Zuora and Global Co-Chair of the Subscribed Institute, Zuora's dedicated think tank on the Subscription Economy. A leading strategist in recurring revenue business models, he has guided more than 450 companies — from global enterprises to high-growth startups, across software, manufacturing, media, financial services, and beyond — through the shift to subscription, usage-based, and AI-driven monetization.
Michael is one of the most visible voices on AI monetization in Europe. With Steven Forth, he co-developed the COMPASS framework for pricing agentic AI, and his research on credit-based pricing — including the widely read white paper AI Credit Monetization: From Hype to Concrete Blueprint — has shaped how SaaS and AI companies design credit systems in practice.
He is a Visiting Faculty Expert and Lecturer at INSEAD, where he co-designed the Subscription Business Bootcamp for MBA and executive education programs. He is also an active early-stage investor and advisor to startups in medtech, foodtech, fintech, and beyond.
Before joining Zuora in 2015, Michael worked at SAP as a specialist in enterprise performance management and finance. He graduated as valedictorian from ESIEE Management, a member of France's Grandes Écoles network. He is based in Paris, works in French and English, and is a student of Japanese business models — the subject of his ongoing research on product-as-a-service in Japan.
Key publications
"AI Credit Monetization: From Hype to Concrete Blueprint" (Zuora white paper and COMPASS Framework series, 2026)
"The 4 GenAI Monetization Avenues" (Subscribed Institute)
"The AI Pricing Pivot: Why SaaS Must Transform Again" (Zuora/AWS white paper, 2025)
"A New Formula for Growth: The Financial Impact of the Subscription Economy" (Subscribed Institute, with contributions from Wolfgang Ulaga)
"Industry 4.0: An Executive Playbook for Business Model Transformation" (Subscribed Institute)
"The Circular Opportunity: Harnessing the Power of Product-as-a-Service" (commissioned by BNP Paribas)
"Product-as-a-Service: Japan Has 5 Superpowers to Reinvent It" (2026)