Acast expands into Melbourne with Bryce Crosswell hired as group sales lead
Independent podcast company, Acast, has grown its Australian operations by making its first Melbourne-based hire, Bryce Crosswell, who has been appointed group sales lead.
Crosswell will be responsible for spearheading growth in the Victorian market, by assisting brands and agencies to include podcasting into audio marketing strategies. He joins from JC Decaux, where he was group sales manager.
Crosswell spent nine years at the out of home company. Acast said his experience, credibility and knowledge of the Australian media landscape “offer the perfect fit as Acast moves to make a larger presence within the Victorian market”.
Bryce Crosswell
On his appointment, Crosswell said: “I first got hooked on podcasts for the educational aspect, but have since been captivated by the storytelling capabilities podcasts have to offer — and I’m quickly learning that it’s those same storytelling capabilities that make podcast advertising so unique. There’s huge potential for advertisers in this space, so I’m eager to lead the expansion of the commercial team into Victoria and to help local brands reach listeners across Australia and the world.”
Henrik Isaksson, managing director of Acast Australia and New Zealand, said: “One of our key objectives this year has been to broaden our presence across Australia. Having seen a real demand from clients in Victoria, we know that now is the perfect time to put boots on the ground in Melbourne. Having Bryce as part of the team represents the next stage of growth for
Acast in Australia and that local touch point will prove invaluable for Victorian advertisers wanting to tell their story with podcasting.”
Acast said that the expansion comes at a time of “tremendous growth for the company”, having reported net sales growth of 89% for the third quarter of 2021, compared to 2020. Acast has grown from six to 23 employees in Australia in the last 12 months.
PwC’s 17th annual Australian Entertainment and Media Outlook report forecasted that podcasting commercial expenditure will reach $105 million in 2022 in Australia, up from $5 million in 2017, according to a statement from Acast.
Crosswell with work alongside Kate Digby, who was hired as group sales lead in Sydney this year.
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Calum Jaspan was news editor at Mumbrella, based in Melbourne. He was also the producer and host of the Mumbrellacast. He left Mumbrella in May 2023.
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