Pandora’s Westergren Returns As CEO, Management Structure Changes

Tim Westergren

In the wake of Pandora’s former CEO Brian McAndrews leaving the company, Pandora founder Tim Westergren, 50, has taken over as CEO. The changes are effective immediately, the Oakland, Calif.-based company announced Monday in a statement.

Westergren founded what ultimately became Pandora in 2000 with the Music Genome Project. He served as Chief Creative Officer and Treasurer from February 2000 to May 2002, as Chief Executive Officer and President from May 2002 to July 2004, and as Chief Strategy Officer from July 2004 to February 2014. He has served on Pandora’s board of directors from the company’s inception.

“I am incredibly excited about the future of Pandora. We’re on the cusp of realizing an extraordinary vision: fundamentally changing the way listeners discover and enjoy music, and the way artists build and sustain their careers,” said Westergren. “We are pursuing a once-in-a-generation opportunity to create a massive, vibrant music marketplace. We have the audience, the technology infrastructure, the monetization engine and most importantly the right team with the passion and commitment to do it. I’m 100 percent committed to Pandora’s growth strategy, as is our executive team and Board.

A former advertising executive, McAndrews, 57, joined Pandora in 2013.

“I am honored to have been the CEO of Pandora for the past two and a half years, and I am proud of what I and our team of talented and highly passionate colleagues have achieved during this time. We have put in place a robust strategy to make Pandora the go-to source for fans and artists and position the company for long-term success in a highly dynamic space. With the team and strategy in place and execution underway, I am passing the baton on to Tim. I wish the company all the best as it continues on its next phase of growth,” McAndrews said.

Additional changes to the management structure include:

• Mike Herring, as President and Chief Financial Officer, drives monetization of Pandora’s core business covering revenue, music licensing, finance, legal, and information technology. He will continue to focus on driving efficiencies and expanding margins.
• Sara Clemens, as Chief Operating Officer, focuses on growing and scaling the business and operating new ventures. Her responsibilities include music makers, Ticketfly, international, human resources and corporate development.
• Chris Phillips, as Chief Product Officer, is responsible for product, engineering and marketing. His team will develop, deliver and drive adoption of products that connect fans and artists in new ways, including on-demand, and help advertisers reach their audiences.