Gabriella Gregoris promoted to Group Business Director of National Performance and Veritone One’s Stephen Smyk joins US Advisory Board amid regional growth
Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company, today announced a massive boost to its US leadership team and Advisory Board. The news comes on the heels of Acast’s second quarter earnings results, which posted 31% net sales growth in North America. The regional success and now team growth underlines Acast’s continued commitment to the valuable US podcasting market.
In an expansion of its C-suite, Acast has selected Greg Glenday, a 25 year veteran of the media industry, as Chief Business Officer for the global organization. Glenday is the former CEO at Lightbox Video Network, the leading digital out-of-home video network. In this role, he led an aggressive transformation that included a complete rebrand, tech innovation, record revenue, and ultimately an acquisition. Prior to Lightbox, Glenday spent more than two decades working in various leadership roles across media, with a focus on audio, including Global Chief Revenue Officer for Shazam, the beloved music app acquired by Apple; the same role for digital high impact ad network, Undertone; and founder and President of iHeartMedia’s award winning Connections division focused on strategic creative partnerships with the largest brands in the world. In this new role with Acast, Glenday will lead the business’s global revenue and strategic growth in key markets.
“I am a fervent believer in podcasting, and I’m convinced many still underestimate the potential for the space. Changes to media spend always lag behind consumption and attention, and smart brands value both context and relevance in addition to adtech efficiencies. Acast is the undisputed leader in first-to-market innovations, audience targeting solutions, and creative campaigns. We are the best place for brands to participate in the conversations shaping every piece of global culture, at scale – which is the goal of every marketer in the world.” said Greg Glenday, Chief Business Officer at Acast. “Already in my role I have found that in every corner of the globe there are ambitious, creative, talented Acasters making their mark on the industry. That culture is exactly why Acast is the perfect destination for this step in my career. I’m looking forward to working with both podcast creators and marketers to unlock more value from the art of storytelling”
Acast has also tapped Spotify’s Ricardo Neto as Vice President of Sales in the US. Neto will oversee the region’s sales divisions. Neto joins the Acast team with nearly twenty years of experience across music, internet publishing, and online audio and video media. Most recently, he spent five years as the Director of Client Partnerships at Spotify where he was responsible for coaching the national sales team. In this role, Neto drove more than $100 million in revenue through partnerships with major retail brands including Walmart, The Home Depot, CVS, and many more.
In further growth of its US sales team, Acast has promoted Gabriella Gregoris to Group Business Director of National Performance where she oversees a team responsible for clients in the direct response category. Gregoris has spent nearly seven years with Acast, experiencing a series of promotions through the sales team in that time and has demonstrated her expertise in performance marketing.
Leading the US team through these changes is Tiffany Ashitey, who has been elevated from Acast Creator Network Director to Interim US Managing Director. In her nearly three years with Acast, Ashitey has played an integral role in major talent and industry partnership signings including comedian Marc Maron, actress Anna Faris, and President Barack and Mrs. Michelle Obama’s media company Higher Ground.
In addition to these internal leadership changes, Acast has also named Stephen Smyk to its Advisory Board in the US. Smyk joins the board with over two decades of performance marketing experiences. He spent more than 16 years as the CEO of Performance Bridge, until it was acquired by Veritone One where he remained a key part of the leadership team for more than five years.
“The US remains a key market for Acast’s continued dominance in the global podcasting industry. This evolution of our leadership team is a pivotal part in this next chapter for the Acast brand and will play a key role in our path to profitability,” said Acast CEO Ross Adams.
