What are your current roles and responsibilities, and what do you love most about the work? How is the same or different from your last role?
I get to lead the team responsible for the production and operational management across our slate of titles, from podcasts to audiobooks to cinematic audio experiences. That means working closely with an incredibly talented team of professionals and optimizing our infrastructure and approach for a production discipline, audio, that’s innovating and doing some really exciting new things. What I love the most is working with teams and people, and that holds for Audible just as it did at Netflix. And just like Netflix, the throughline is the same, I’ve always believed the best production leadership is invisible: it clears the path for storytellers rather than getting in front of them.
What initiatives or projects are you working on now that excite you?
It’s too early (5 weeks!) to call out any new personal projects or initiatives, but I am very excited by our two new releases today. The Infinite Extent, the newest book in the Bobiverse series – Audible’s bestselling Original series of all time, and The Unusual Suspects, now with video!
What’s the most challenging part of your job and/or the industry right now?
Finding the right balance of innovation and AI usage, with the irreplaceable need for human creativity and oversight. This is not unique to entertainment and content creation, but it’s an every day balance I think a lot us are trying to find.
What’s your advice for someone trying to get to where you are?
My path is very crooked, with several dead-ends along the way. Trust the journey, and stay open to all opportunities. Most of all – be kind! Be kind to everyone you meet, regardless of their title. It’s a much better way to live life, and it will also help you more than you can ever imagine.
Off the clock: what do you do when you’re not working? How do you recharge your creative battery?
I’m a runner, and whenever I get the chance to grab a few kilometers I do. Aside from that, it’s time with my kids and my wife.
What defines great creative video work these days?
The same thing that has defined it since the start: the story that is being told. Without that, in my opinion, greatness is impossible to achieve.
