Spotify hires Mikaela Lancaster as new MD for Australia and NZ

Spotify has hired Mikaela Lancaster as new managing director for Australia and New Zealand.

Lancaster’s appointment comes after the exit of previous local managing director, Karen Lawson, back in March. Lawson herself had replaced Jane Huxley, who had previously been in the local MD role for just under 18 months.

According to The Music Network, Lancaster had quietly started her role as managing director for Spotify in Australia and New Zealand back in July when the company was going through a period of high turnover.

As for who Mikaela Lancaster is, she has been based in Asia and was most recently the global marketing director of the streaming video-on-demand service iflix.

Prior to iflix, Lancaster was general manager for the Daily Mail, and had held various roles with ninemsn, including head of Windows Live, director of Microsoft Products, and director of strategic partnerships and special platforms.

Lancaster’s appointment as local MD is the latest in what’s been a rollercoaster 2020 for Spotify.

The business had to weather the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a period of high staff turnover, which included the hiring of Melissa Circosta as its head of communications.

In related Spotify news, the business also managed to ink a multi-million dollar deal with popular podcaster Joe Rogan, a deal that has caused a bit of a stir among the company’s employees and other artists on the platform, especially indie musicians struggling to earn a living.

Spotify has yet to issue an official statement regarding the appointment of Mikaela Lancaster as its MD for Australia and New Zealand.

This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.