Podimo brings in former Netflix exec while expanding M&A footprint with German podcast producer
Copenhagen-based podcast giant Podimo has brought in a former Netflix content exec as part of a string of hires, while completing a deal for German peer arc.studio.
Former director of non-fiction production at Netflix Jason Crosby has been appointed as Podimo’s vice-president of content & studio operations, while the former head of marketing for popular music at Radio 1 Iain Sawbridge will become chief commercial officer out of the company’s London office.
Crosby oversees operational and strategic infrastructure underpinning Podimo’s global content business – comprising its platform, internal production studios, owned labels and content governance across multiple markets.
At Netflix, his roles spanned the UK and EMEA, where he built and led the region’s non-scripted production division from the ground up. He oversaw a wide content portfolio covering unscripted, documentary, comedy, sports and natural history. Prior to Netflix, he was chief operating officer at now shuttered Monkey.
Additionally, ex-Google product exec Mehul Fotedar will become vice-president of product and former Disney comms exec Daniel Maynard will lead global communications.
New hires in Denmark include journalist Mette Østergaard as market director, content and co-founder Nikolaj Koppel stepping into a newly created international role as vice-president, editorial strategy. In Germany, former Amazon Music executive Benedikt Treuer will become head of content.
Remaining in Germany, Podimo has completed a deal to bring Hamburg-based arc.studio in as part of its content arm Podimo Studios. Arc.studio will continue to operate independently with co-founders and managing directors Lara Johnen and Hendrik Nagel leading Germany’s fastest-growing podcast label, reporting to Podimo’s chief content officer and former Amazon Studios exec Georgia Brown.
Founded in 2024, arc.studio is behind German video-first formats including Girls Girls, Kaffee mit Zitrone, Clare on Air and Des Isses!
Podimo Studios also houses podcast labels Tonny Media and Dag en Nacht in the Netherlands, and Danish podcast agency Podads.
Brown, who is the former head of Amazon Studios Europe, said: “By bringing arc.studio into Podimo Studios, alongside our other labels and in-house teams, we are strengthening our ability to develop premium, creator-led IP at scale.
“The creator economy is maturing rapidly, and creators increasingly require partners that combine creative ambition with long-term investment and international reach. With arc.studio joining Podimo Studios, we are building a truly international home for ambitious, multiplatform storytelling.”
Johnen and Nagel added: “Podimo shares our belief in content and video as a core creative product, and brings the scale, stability, and international perspective that creators increasingly need.
“Together, we’re excited to create more space for bold ideas to grow, to invest sustainably in creator-led formats, and to help shape the next chapter of premium IP development across Europe and beyond.”
Podimo co-founder and chief executive Morten Strunge said: “Collectively, our appointments bring together leadership talent from some of the world’s most influential entertainment and technology companies, and we are deliberately building a team with the experience to scale global platforms while staying true to our creator-first philosophy.
“By expanding Podimo Studios and strengthening our product and commercial capabilities, we are creating a company that combines creative excellence with operational discipline, delivering sustainable value for creators, audiences, and partners across international markets.”
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