Pandora Names Brian McAndrews CEO, President and Chairman

Brian McAndrews

Pandora’s Board of Directors has appointed Brian McAndrews to succeed Joe Kennedy as CEO, President and Chairman. McAndrews previously held senior positions at General Mills and ABC. In 1999, he took over Seattle-based digital agency Avenue A; the company was acquired by Microsoft for $6 billion dollars in 2007. McAndrews went on to hold positions at Microsoft and Madrona and is currently on the boards of The New York Times Co., Grubhub Seamless and AppNexus.

“We had very specific criteria for our new CEO, and we were very strategic about finding the right person — Brian is that person,” said Pandora’s founder and chief strategy officer Tim Westergren. “No one better understands the intersection of technology and advertising, which he clearly demonstrated during aQuantive’s meteoric rise. He has a recognized ability to set strategy, lead large teams and drive growth and innovation at great scale. He is also a natural cultural fit with Pandora. This is a great development for our company.”

Advertising Age dubbed McAndrews “Digital Executive of the Year,” in addition to him being named one of the 30 most influential ad executives in Adweek’s 30th Anniversary issue.

“It is a great privilege to be asked to lead Pandora at this important moment in the company’s history,” said McAndrews. “By capturing the enthusiasm of more than 72 million monthly listeners, the management team, led by Joe and Tim, has made Pandora the clear internet radio leader and created a product that consumers love. I look forward to joining this great team to build on Pandora’s success for years to come.”

McAndrew’s predecessor Kennedy announced his decision to retire from Pandora in March 2013.