Pandora late yesterday announced the appointment of former Madrona Venture Group and Microsoft exec Brian McAndrews as CEO, president, and chairman. He immediately succeeds Joe Kennedy, who in March announced his intention to step down.
McAndrews was recognized as Advertising Age’s very first “Digital Exectutive of the Year.” He is also former president and CEO of digital agency aQuantive, which he led from its roots as a small Seattle-based firm in 1999 to its $6 billion acquisition by Microsoft in 2007. After the purchase, McAndrews stayed on as an SVP running Microsoft’s Advertiser & Publisher Solutions group.
Pandora founder and chief strategy officer Tim Westergren commented, “No one better understands the intersection of technology and advertising, which he clearly demonstrated during aQuantive’s meteoric rise. He has a recognized ability to set strategy, lead large teams and drive growth and innovation at great scale. He is also a natural cultural fit with Pandora.”