Spotify on the hunt for new head of marketing ANZ, with Serena Leith departing

Spotify is looking to recruit a new head of marketing for the ANZ region, which local managing director Mikaela Lancaster said is “quite possibly the best marketing gig in AU”.

“We’re a lean team with big goals, looking for an incredible leader,” she said on LinkedIn.

Spotify doesn’t comment on staff departures, however the recruitment process does signal current marketing director Serena Leith is on the move.

Gus Clarke, from market strategy and operations at the streaming giant, said on LinkedIn they were “some very big shoes to fill”.

Leith joined Spotify in 2012 from Universal Music Group where she had been a promotions manager and then label marketing manager. Prior to that, she was at Warner Music Australia as promotions and sales manager across SA and NSW in various roles.

At Spotify, she started out as marketing manager for ANZ, before becoming director of marketing in the region. She was interim managing director for a period in 2019 as the local operation went through leadership changes, and has been head of marketing since January 2018.

Leith currently manages all key consumer marketing functions including all growth, retention and activation campaigns, brand partnerships, all always-on and owned-channel activity, paid acquisition, branded experiences, content marketing, events, and activations.

Spotify’s new managing director for Australia and New Zealand Mikaela Lancaster quietly started in the role in July following a period of high turnover for the business.

The previous local MD, Karen Lawson, left earlier this year after less than a year in the role. She replaced Jane Huxley, who had been in the top job for just shy of 18 months.

This year Spotify also lost its comms boss, Sophie Paterson, who moved to Sony Music. She was replaced by Melissa Circosta.

Spotify declined to comment.