Goalhanger has strengthened its senior leadership team with three new appointments as the podcast and production company moves into its next stage of expansion.
Andy Hodgson joins as Chief Financial Officer, Chloe Straw has been appointed Director of Operations, and Emily Kent Smith takes on the newly created role of Editorial Director.
All three are starting with immediate effect and reporting to co-founders Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport.
In their expanded roles, the trio will work closely with the board and senior leadership team to support Goalhanger’s long-term ambitions, with responsibility across financial strategy, operational scale and the development of written editorial output alongside its audio and video portfolio.
Hodgson brings extensive experience as a finance leader across UK, US and European businesses, having most recently served as CFO to several UK scale-ups.
He spent five years at Uber during a key growth period, overseeing regional financial strategy as the company scaled towards its IPO, and is a PwC-trained Chartered Accountant with an MBA from London Business School.
Straw joins from AudioUK, where she was CEO and played a central role in securing the sector’s first seat on the Creative Industries Council, launching the AudioTrain platform, expanding partnerships across the UK, and helping to establish the International Podcast Alliance.
Her earlier career includes senior content and production roles at We Are Grape and Somethin’ Else, producing award-winning audio and digital content.
Kent Smith arrives with a background in journalism and digital strategy, having previously been Associate Editor at The Sunday Times, where she helped shape the weekly edition while leading on digital growth and new business opportunities.
Before that, she held senior reporting and editorial roles at The Daily Mail, including time as a US correspondent based in San Francisco.
Andy Hodgson said: “I’m thrilled to be joining Goalhanger at such a pivotal moment. It’s a rare business that combines creative excellence with real commercial ambition, and I’m excited to help put the financial foundations in place for the next phase of growth.”
Chloe Straw said: “Goalhanger has always felt like a media company that plays by its own rules. Curious, creative and innovative, it keeps finding new ways to connect with audiences, and I’m excited to help shape its next chapter.”
Emily Kent Smith said: “Goalhanger is changing journalism and entertainment, with millions engaging across audio, video and live events. Expanding into written formats feels like a natural next step, and I’m excited to get started with the team.”
The appointments come as Goalhanger builds on a record-breaking last year and accelerates growth this year, having surpassed 750 million full-episode streams in a single year and now delivering more than 70 million monthly full-episode streams across its network.
Co-founders Tony Pastor and Jack Davenport said the new hires would be central to supporting larger audiences and ambitions, adding that the roles would help scale the business while maintaining its editorial identity.
