Podspace hires three industry veterans in global expansion launch
Podspace has made three senior hires as the company launches an international expansion.
Industry veteran Öjje Holt — co-founder of Acast and former CEO of Spotify in the Nordics — joins as Director of Growth.
Eeva Ronkainen becomes Country Manager at the newly opened Helsinki office, while Johan Leijonhufvud takes on the role of Senior Client Manager.
Both Ronkainen and Leijonhufvud bring extensive experience in audio media, including long employments at Spotify.
Podcast platform and marketplace Podspace is a dominant force in the Nordic market through its strategic partnerships with industry leaders like Bonnier News, Perfect Day Media, and Podme.
Öjje Holt says: “I’m very familiar with Podspace and its young, energetic team, so when they offered me a position, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. I aim to contribute with my strong network, global relationships, and extensive experience in successful go-to market strategies — including what pitfalls to avoid.
“Podspace has excellent potential to succeed beyond the Nordics. The combination of a young, driven team and an innovative product, along with someone who has launched products globally, ensures this will be an exciting journey. It’s going to be incredibly fun and challenging.”
With the three new appointments, Podspace now has its sights set on expanding its platform and marketplace beyond the Nordic region.
Podspace co-founder and CEO Carl Fridsjö says: “With limited resources, we have broken into one of the most competitive markets and quickly established Podspace’s marketplace. This is proof that our product fulfils a need for enterprise publishers and advertisers.
“Now it’s about growing both within and outside the Nordic region and continuing to innovate our technical solution.
“I am proud to bring in such valuable, experienced, and relevant expertise to our already fantastic team. Öjje, Eeva, and Johan are all dream recruitments and a perfect match for the phase we are facing. It’s going to be incredibly fun to make this journey together.”