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Soundcloud launches in Australia, hires former Facebook and Pandora executives

Music streaming company Soundcloud has made its first Australian appointments, hiring former Pandora executive Shaun Alexander as commercial director for Australia New Zealand, and former Facebook employee, Marta Bonzanini.

Shaun Alexander is set to lead the local sales team.

Shaun Alexander is set to lead the local sales team

Alexander finished a four-year stint with Pandora in December 2016, where we was working as a client strategy director across Australia and New Zealand. Alexander will report to Soundcloud’s vice president, Sonia Flynn, driving sales strategies and obtaining new business from brands.

Previously working at Facebook for seven years – most recently as a client solutions manager across Australia and New Zealand – Bonzanini will lead the development of sales strategy and building relationships with brand partners.

The new recruitments follow the launch of Soundcloud’s local subscription and advertising platform, Soundcloud Go, in September last year – which offered local advertising through programmatic while the sales team was being recruited.

Alexander said: “Marketers have clocked on to the fact that audio is an effective tool to engage with a generation of millennials who spend the majority of their day consuming audio with their headphones on. I’m excited to be on board and to build new partnerships, and introduce brands to Soundcloud’s unique offering.”

Flynn paid tribute to the streaming services diversity in the industry, acknowledging Alexander’s capabilities to lead the team in Australia.

“We have a truly unique product which is a new and attractive environment for brands looking to connect with a switched-on audience, passionate about music and culture.

“Australia and New Zealand are key markets for us, and having someone with Shaun’s experience in place to lead the team will help us bring our ambitious goals to fruition,” she said.

The launch of the local sales team will allow the streaming service to offer customer solutions for advertisers throughout both Australia and New Zealand.

Soundcloud is the last of its competitors to launch a team in Australia.

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