Names Pandora’s Vice President, East, Andy Lipset as Chief Executive Officer
Founder, Will Mayo to assume Chief Strategy Officer Role
NEW YORK, July 10, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SpokenLayer, the leading provider of voice and audio content for smart speakers and connected devices, today announced the hiring of Andy Lipset as the company’s new Chief Executive Officer. He officially began in SpokenLayer’s New York City offices on Monday, July 8, 2019.
Lipset will assume the CEO position from SpokenLayer Founder Will Mayo, who will maintain his current role as Founder and continue to focus on innovation and global partnerships as the Company’s Chief Strategy Officer.
As CEO, Lipset will be responsible for overseeing operations within the company, including Sales and Advertising, Marketing and Communications, Publisher Operations, Product and Technology, as well as Finance.
Lipset brings deep experience in the media business, particularly in the digital audio space. He spent the past six years at Pandora, helping to build several units for the company. Most recently, as Vice President, East, he oversaw the company’s revenue of its largest region from Boston to Florida, with annual revenues in excess of $400 million. From 2013 Lipset built Pandora's Local Advertising Unit into a $260 million business.
Prior to Pandora, Lipset spent 12 years in the National Radio business, and served as the Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ronning Lipset Radio, the nation’s first online radio representation firm which was widely credited with pioneering the monetization of digital audio from an advertising perspective. The company was acquired in 2008 by TargetSpot, Inc., where he oversaw growth of the company’s advertising revenues as its Chief Revenue Officer.
“I am so thrilled to be joining Will and the team at SpokenLayer,” said Lipset. “I have known Will for close to eight years, and have a great deal of respect for what he has built and accomplished as a leader in the voice space. The audio business is the healthiest I have ever seen it since coming into the media industry. Given the average consumer is spending close to 4 hours a day with audio, and advertising demand is at an all-time marketplace high, publishers know they need to invest in the space. The foundation that Will has built at SpokenLayer has the company perfectly positioned, and now we are going to build and scale the business even further to take advantage of the health of this ecosystem. Here we go!”
Will Mayo will take a more active role focusing on the company’s future product vision and strategy, as well as global partnerships as the Chief Strategy Officer. In addition, Mayo will serve as SpokenLayer’s key executive contact for strategic partners in distribution, media and agency holding companies, platforms, and investment. As a pioneer in the voice space, he will continue to champion the company's position in the industry.
"Today represents a pivotal moment for both me and the company as we scale to meet the market demand and growth, and build our capabilities for the next phase of SpokenLayer,” said Mayo. “Andy has a unique background and a deep understanding of the audio business, and has built and scaled some amazing companies. I’m so excited to have him on board so we can finally work together side by side! Having him lead our team is not only a badge of pride for what we’ve built at SpokenLayer, but a statement on the potential and scale of the voice first audio market as a whole.”
SpokenLayer Board Chairman, Bob Bausmith added, “Andy joining as CEO comes at a time when the industry is at an inflection point, hitting mass traction with consumers and devices. As a seasoned operator, Andy will enable the company to capture a large piece of the projected $20B spend in voice over the next few years. This executive team has the perfect mix of executional experience, relationships, and strategic positioning.”
About SpokenLayer:
SpokenLayer is the leading provider of voice content for virtual assistants and connected devices - Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and beyond. The world’s top media companies use SpokenLayer to produce, distribute, and monetize their voice experiences, while brands leverage SpokenLayer to reach audiences in voice at scale. Based in the heart of New York City, the company works with Condé Nast, Meredith, Gannett, McClatchy, Hearst, Digital First Media, GateHouse Media, Politico, TheSkimm, The Economist and many other top media companies. SpokenLayer is backed by investors like Beasley Media Group, Guardian Media Group Ventures, Betaworks, and North Base Media.
For more information, contact:
Rachel Crocker
(212)-655-0555
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ef70a50f-7de0-44d5-aba2-85a0ff3b67a1