Copenhagen/London: Tuesday March 10th 2026: Podimo, Europe’s leading podcast subscription platform, today announced a series of strategic developments as it continues to scale its international business, strengthening both its global content arm, Podimo Studios, and its senior leadership team.
As part of this next phase of growth, Podimo has entered into a new partnership with arc.studio, one of Germany’s fastest-growing podcast label. Through this transaction, arc.studio will become part of Podimo Studios, the company’s international content business focused on developing original intellectual property and building long-term creative partnerships across audio, video, and digital formats.
Co-founders and Managing Directors Lara Johnen and Hendrik Nagel will continue to lead arc.studio and will report to Georgia Brown, Chief Content Officer at Podimo, as part of Podimo’s growing international Studios organisation, which also includes Podcast label’s Tonny Media and Dag en Nacht in the Netherlands and leading Danish podcast agency and advertising platform, Podads.
“We’ve already seen the creative impact of our collaboration with arc.studio, making this a natural next step in our partnership,” said Georgia Brown, Chief Content Officer at Podimo. “By bringing arc.studio into Podimo Studios, alongside our other labels and in-house teams, we are strengthening our ability to develop premium, creator-led IP at scale. The creator economy is maturing rapidly, and creators increasingly require partners that combine creative ambition with long-term investment and international reach. With arc.studio joining Podimo Studios, we are building a truly international home for ambitious, multiplatform storytelling.”
Founded in 2024 and based in Hamburg, arc.studio has quickly established itself as a leading home for creator-led, multiplatform video-first formats in the German-speaking market, with recent hits include ‘Girls Girls’, ‘Kaffee mit Zitrone’, ‘Clare on Air’ and ‘DES ISSES!’ By becoming part of Podimo Studios, arc.studio will continue to operate independently, while benefiting from Podimo’s international scale, long-term investment, and production expertise.
“arc.studio was built to be a creator-first home, focused on quality over speed, long-term thinking, and building brands with real conviction. Joining Podimo Studios allows us to take that ambition much further. Podimo shares our belief in content and video as a core creative product, and brings the scale, stability, and international perspective that creators increasingly need. Together, we’re excited to create more space for bold ideas to grow, to invest sustainably in creator-led formats, and to help shape the next chapter of premium IP development across Europe and beyond,” said arc.studio Co-Founders and joint Managing Directors, Lara Johnen and Hendrik Nagel.
Alongside the expansion of Podimo Studios, the company has strengthened its executive leadership as it accelerates international growth. Following the appointments of Georgia Brown (formerly of Head of Amazon Studios Europe) as Chief Creative Officer and Stephen Ruegg (formerly of Flexport and Amazon) as Chief Financial Officer, the company has made a series of senior hires across commercial, product, communications and content operations, reinforcing its position as a scaled, technology-led content business.
These include Iain Sawbridge (formerly of King and the BBC) as Chief Commercial Officer; Jason Crosby (formerly Netflix and NBCUniversal) as Vice President, Content & Studio Operations; Mehul Fotedar (former Google executive) as Vice President of Product; and Daniel Maynard (former Disney executive), who will lead global communications. All will be based in London, working closely with co-founder and CEO Morten Strunge.
“The industry is evolving rapidly, with one in three adults now listening to a Podcast weekly,” said Morten Strunge, Founder and CEO of Podimo. “Collectively, these appointments bring together leadership talent from some of the world’s most influential entertainment and technology companies, and we are deliberately building a team with the experience to scale global platforms while staying true to our creator-first philosophy. By expanding Podimo Studios and strengthening our product and commercial capabilities, we are creating a company that combines creative excellence with operational discipline, delivering sustainable value for creators, audiences, and partners across international markets.”
In Denmark, Podimo has strengthened its local content leadership with the appointment of renowned journalist Mette Østergaard as Market Director, Content, while co-founder Nikolaj Koppel transitions into a newly created international role as Vice President, Editorial Strategy.
In Germany, former Amazon Music executive Benedikt Treuer joins as Head of Content, following the appointments of Patrick Fina as Director of Podimo Studios Germany and Sean Wheatley to lead Business Affairs in the market.
Podimo now has more than 1.2 million subscribers, publishes over 700 episodes per month, and employs 350 people across seven countries. Through Podimo Studios, which includes Podads, Tonny Media, Dag en Nacht and arc.studio, the company is expanding its international IP portfolio and diversifying revenue streams across subscription and advertising.
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About Podimo
Podimo is Europe’s leading podcasting platform, home to award-winning exclusive originals, audiobooks, and podcasts with over 1.2 million subscribers and delivering over 700 curated episodes a month. Offering premium entertainment through a seamless experience, Podimo combines end-to-end production powered by innovative technology and a creator-first model that rewards creators for producing exceptional content that engages and entertains audiences. Its portfolio includes Podads in Denmark, arc.studio in Germany and Dutch labels Tonny Media and Dag en Nacht, all operating under the Podimo Studios umbrella to deliver integrated, high-quality audio content across multiple markets. Founded in Denmark in 2019, Podimo now operates across multiple international markets with more than 350 employees and is available on iOS, Android, iPad, CarPlay, and via web player at podimo.com.
About arc.studio
arc.studio is an independent podcast label with a clear focus on multiplatform, video-first shows, based in Hamburg. Founded in August 2024, the company was built with the ambition to combine creative excellence with data-driven format development and to think of podcasts consistently as visual brand formats. arc.studio is led by founders Lara Johnen and Hendrik Nagel, whose professional backgrounds lie in artist management with a strong social media focus, brand development, and the broader creator ecosystem. As a label, arc.studio develops, leads, and scales video-first podcast formats together with creators and partners. The focus lies on visual storytelling, cross-platform distribution, and the long-term development of brands that go beyond individual episodes. In addition to creative conception, arc.studio is also responsible for monetization—from strategic brand partnerships and integrated campaigns to long-term revenue models. The goal is to build creator brands sustainably and make them economically viable.
Biographies for new senior hires
Iain Sawbridge | Chief Commercial Officer
Iain Sawbridge is Chief Commercial Officer at Podimo, responsible for driving growth and marketing for Europe’s biggest podcasting platform In this role, Iain is responsible for audience development, consumer engagement, advertising revenues and subscription strategy across all markets in which Podimo operates. working across owned, earned and paid channels as well as creator growth, brand management, partnerships and distribution.
Iain previously worked at King, part of Microsoft / Xbox gaming, where he led the growth of live games and the development and launch of new games at a global level, working with stellar gaming IPs like Candy Crush, Minecraft, Warcraft and Overwatch. His career is one of deep passion and experience in both digital and entertainment businesses, spanning leadership of marketing and commercial teams at Channel 5, Blinkbox Music, BBC Radio & Music, King, Blizzard Entertainment and Beano Studios where he became a member of the Campaign Power 100 top marketers in the UK and top 25 in UK digital media in The Drum’s Digerati list.
Mehul Fotedar | VP, Product
Mehul is a global product and strategy leader with over a decade of experience shaping technology at Google, and Meta. Currently Vice President of Product at Podimo in London, his career spans three continents and diverse domains, from enterprise SaaS and cloud infrastructure to consumer apps.
With foundational roots in data science and strategy, Mehul brings a unique approach to building world-class products, backed by a proven track record of taking ideas from 0 to 1 and scaling them globally.
Daniel Maynard | VP, Global Communications
Daniel Maynard is a senior communications leader with more than 20 years’ experience across global entertainment, media and technology brands. As VP, Global Communications at Podimo, he leads the company’s global communications strategy, overseeing consumer, brand, publicity, corporate, product, investor and internal communications, alongside creator engagement. His work focuses on strengthening Podimo’s reputation and supporting the growth of one of the world’s most exciting podcast and entertainment platforms.
Prior to joining Podimo, Daniel was an invested partner and Managing Director at WDM Entertainment, advising leading organisations including The Walt Disney Company, The Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales, National Geographic, See-Saw Films, Studio 99, Universal Pictures and BAFTA. During this time, he also helped lead an initiative committing 10% of company profits to programmes supporting emerging talent and under-represented voices in the creative industries.
Earlier in his career Daniel held senior communications roles at The Walt Disney Company, 21st Century Fox, Freuds and BBC, working across major global brands, talent and cultural moments, including the launch of Disney+ in EMEA. He served on the BAFTA Television Committee from 2017 to 2023 and is an Advisory Board member of Hatch Films, a not-for-profit social impact production company supporting new voices in filmmaking.
Jason Crosby | VP Content & Studio Operations
Jason Crosby is VP of Content & Studios Operations at Podimo, where he oversees the operational and strategic infrastructure underpinning the global content business – comprising its platform, internal production studios, owned labels and content governance across multiple markets. He is responsible for building the frameworks that connect commissioning, production, programming and monetisation, driving alignment and commercial rigour across Podimo’s content ecosystem.
Crosby previously served as Director of Nonfiction Production (UK/EMEA) at Netflix, where he built and led the region’s non-scripted production division from the ground up. He oversaw a wide content portfolio covering Unscripted, Documentary, Comedy, Sports and Natural History, and delivered global franchise titles including Squid Game: The Challenge, The Circle and Too Hot To Handle. Prior to Netflix, he was COO at Monkey Kingdom, an NBCUniversal International Studios label. His career spans commissioning, production, commercial affairs and business development, with earlier experience at Hat Trick Productions.
A committed advocate for creative diversity, Crosby is a Trustee at CTVC, a BAFTA-recognised media charity. He also holds an MBA and is bilingual in French.
