Pandora has just streamed a former Microsoft executive into the big chair.
After a CEO search that has spanned much of the year, ex-Microsoft executive Brian McAndrews has been selected by the Internet radio service to lead Pandora.
According to details reported by AdWeek, McAndrews brings a 20-year resume to the table with a long list of achievements at such companies as General Mills, The New York Times, Walt Disney, Seamless, AppNexus, and aQuantive.
The marketing vet will be charged with bettering the digital radio brand’s sometimes tumultuous relationship with musicians while ramping up Pandora’s ad business. And considering Apple’s forthcoming iTunes Radio service, McAndrews certainly has his work cut out for him.
“We had very specific criteria for our new CEO, and we were very strategic about finding the right person—Brian is that person,” said Tim Westergren, Pandora’s founder and chief strategy officer. “No one better understands the intersection of technology and advertising, which he clearly demonstrated during aQuantive’s meteoric rise.”