Novel Audio, the multi-award-winning premium podcast production company, has announced the appointment of audio industry veteran Craig Strachan as its new CEO.
Prior to joining Novel, Strachan held a leadership role as head of global podcast industry at Amazon Music, where he was responsible for managing partner and industry relations; editorial; programming; local content strategy, and growth across all marketplaces. Before working in podcasting, Craig served as head of brand at Amazon Music where he led all brand campaigns, social media and partnerships across Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
As CEO, Strachan will be responsible for building on Novel’s success, growing the business internationally, and further establishing its high-quality shows in the expansive podcast category.
Since its founding in 2019, Novel has grown significantly as a disruptor within the category to become one of the biggest independent podcast companies in Europe. Novel’s standing in the sector has been cemented through its high-profile partnerships with leading global podcasting networks including iHeartRadio, Wondery and Gimlet.
It has also produced series for the BBC, the Financial Times, Google, and the Premier League. In 2023, cult-favourite independent studio A24 optioned hit Novel show The Girlfriends – which recently scooped an Ambie award for Best True Crime Podcast – for a TV adaptation.
Strachan shares: “Having been part of the industry for some time, and a podcast listener for even longer, I have loved seeing how podcasts have grown into being a mainstream media.
“It’s an exciting time to join Novel, which has an ever-growing catalogue of popular, groundbreaking and award-winning shows. I look forward to further accelerating Novel’s growth in this role, including building on our recent successes with visual adaptations of the fantastic shows the team are making.”
Strachan also aims to bring his track record as an advocate and champion of diversity and inclusion to bear in his new role – with a mission to broaden the global listener base of Novel-produced podcasts.
Novel recently announced that season two of The Girlfriends will be released next month in partnership with iHeartPodcasts – as well as the debut of The Wild Life (with Luminary), and John Ford: Decoded with TCM, in which Novel partner with Ben Mankiewicz to track down a lost film by the legendary director.
