Founder Tim Westergen Returns As Pandora CEO

Pandora today announced management team changes to accelerate the company’s growth strategy.

Pandora’s Board of Directors has appointed founder Tim Westergren as CEO, replacing Brian McAndrews. The change is effective immediately.

The board hailed Westergren as a visionary who forever changed how music is enjoyed by leading the development of Pandora’s Music Genome Project in the early 2000s. A seasoned entrepreneur, and former band member and composer himself, Tim is personally committed to advancing the careers of working musicians everywhere.

“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 Tim Westergren, Pandora’s Founder and CEO. “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.”

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Pandora also introduced a new management structure:

• 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 also 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.
• Pandora’s Chief Product Officer Chris Phillips, is responsible for product, engineering and marketing. His team will develop, deliver and drive adoption of products that connect fans and artist in new ways, including on-demand, and help advertisers reach their audiences.

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Brian McAndrews is leaving the company. “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.”