Spotify has named former Vevo executive Tom Connaughton as the managing director of its U.K. operation, a rep for the company confirmed to Variety. The news was first reported by Music Business Worldwide.
Connaughton joined Spotify’s London operation in April after seven years in New York as Vevo’s Senior Vice President of Creative Content & Programming. The move comes just weeks after news broke that George Ergatoudis, Spotify’s former Head of Music Culture, International Shows & Editorial / Content, is leaving the company to head up Apple Music’s U.K. office.
Connaughton will lead Spotify’s U.K. business, including driving its content strategy, artist partnerships, shows and editorial and artist marketing.
Spotify had another big executive move just last week when Dawn Ostroff was named its new Chief Content Officer. Ostroff, who was previously president of entertainment at Conde Nast, will be based at Spotify’s New York office and will lead all aspects of its content partnerships across music, audio and video. Specifically, she will oversee the company’s Shows & Editorial (including playlists, headed by Nick Holmsten), Studios & Video (headed by Courtney Holt), Creator Services (Troy Carter), Creator Marketplace (Charlie Hellman), and Content Operations departments (Sam Young).
At Conde Nast Entertainment — which Ostroff cofounded upon joining the parent company in 2011 — she was tasked with developing film, TV and digital products from its brands, which included such magazines as the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Vogue, Details and others. At the Conde Nast NewFront last month, she announced that Wired, GQ and Bon Appetit are slated to become the first magazine brands within Condé Nast to support their own fully programmed streaming channels, and touted the 12 billion views CNE drew in 2017 to its digital video efforts across its social, syndicated and owned-and-operated properties. She has no music-business background.
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