Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Welcoming Paul Vogel, Spotify's New Chief Financial Officer

19/01/2020

Paul Vogel is new to the role of Spotify CFO, but not to Spotify-or to the relationship between finance and the tech/media industry. For the last four years, he's been at Spotify heading up Investor Relations and leading the FP&A (Financial Planning & Analysis) and Treasury teams. Prior to that, he spent 20 years in various positions on Wall Street. Investing wasn't necessarily his primary passion, but the media and internet companies he was working with were.

I loved having the ability to understand the changes and the strategies that were going on in those industries, he said. I was always excited to meet the executives who were running those companies and understand how they thought about growing their businesses and sharing my opinion on where things could go.

So in 2016, after a stint as a CFO at a startup and then some time back on Wall Street, Paul found his way to Spotify, uniting his passion with his career. And as we recently announced, after nearly four years at Spotify, Paul has been appointed our new CFO. We sat down with Paul to welcome him into his new position.

Spotify has gone through some significant changes since you joined in 2016. What have been the two to three biggest that you've noticed? The most obvious change is the growth of both the platform and the number of people listening. When I started, we had just passed 30 million subscribers and 100 million users, so to turn around and end 2019 with more than 100 million subscribers and about 250 million users, that's insane growth.

The second would obviously be the increase in the number of employees and offices within Spotify. That growth is just, again, amazing. I'm not sure I would have predicted we'd grow so quickly. I think we had about 1,500 employees across the globe when I started, and now we have more than tripled in size.

But although the company culture has evolved with its size, the ethos of the company hasn't changed at all. When I came here, it was about empowering content creators to share their talent and creativity with the world and enabling billions of users to enjoy it. That hasn't changed. But now it goes way beyond music. We are talking about all of audio, and so our opportunity is even bigger.

And of course, the IPO was a big change as well. What was notable about that, from your point of view? With the IPO, we were doing something unprecedented by taking the company public in a way that had never been done before, and that was really exciting. Our ability to attempt this unique approach dovetails nicely into another one of our strengths, Spotify's ability to think about things differently, take risks, and innovate. It stems from Daniel's leadership and the way the company is set up. Of course, it would have never been possible without Barry McCarthy (Spotify's prior CFO) and his vision for re-inventing the process of going public.

What I think was great about the way we went public was that we wanted to be fully transparent, giving all investors-not just the big investors, but all investors-the same access to information. It was having an investor day before we were public where we could share the company's vision widely to everyone at once, and it was having that message delivered by the senior leadership team. This is quite different from a traditional IPO where only select investors can have that access to your senior management. So all of the transparency we talk about internally, we lived it. Going public via our direct listing was one of the most rewarding moments of my time at Spotify and also crystalized our commitment to transparency with our employees and investors.

Now it's a new year, new decade, new role. What excites you most about the road ahead, whether it's long term or short term? The opportunity to expose even more artists and creators, and not just music, but now all of audio, to even more people is massive. The opportunity is even bigger now than I thought it was when I first stepped in the door. I think we've only just scratched the surface of our potential. There is still tremendous opportunity to expand our user base. There's no reason why every smartphone in the world shouldn't have a streaming music/audio service on it. And there's no reason why that service shouldn't be Spotify.

What are some of the challenges or headwinds Spotify may face in the next 12 months or so? Long term, as you get bigger as a company, being able to continually act as fast as you'd like is a challenge. I think it's incumbent upon the leadership team to make sure we dedicate resources efficiently and effectively to allow us to innovate, grow, and take risks. That's number one.

In the short term, we are making big investments in podcasting. We're investing in the medium and are confident that, over time, it will drive more value for users and increase subscribers and engagement on the platform. We believe the opportunity for us here is vast. Part of my job is giving proof points to Wall Street to help tell our story and provide context and clarity on our financial results, forecast, and priorities.

What do you think our readers would find the most surprising about the general role of CFO? While the role is obviously about understanding the finances of the company, it's really about analyzing the numbers to help set strategy, allocate resources most effectively, and set up the business for long-term success. When done right, our jobs can really add a lot of value into the ecosystem. At Spotify, for example, our job is to make the engineer's job easier and more efficient. It allows the creative team to go out and sign deals and have the resources to actually execute against the plan they have. While to some people what we do may seem like a black box or just about the numbers, it&#
LINK: https://newsroom.spotify.com/2020-01-16/welcoming-paul-vogel-spotifys-...
See more stories from spotify

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

07/08/2025

Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, Redefining In-Car Entertainment Experience

July 8 2025, 22:30 (PDT) Tata Motors & Dolby Bring Dolby Atmos to Harrier.ev, R...

11/07/2025

2025 Sundance Institute Producers Lab Fellows Announced

PARK CITY, UTAH, July 11, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today the 11 producers chosen for its annual Producers Labs, returning to Ucross Fou...

11/07/2025

Superman' Filmmaker James Gunn Reveals the Playlists Inspired by Your Favorite Characters

If you've ever wondered what might be playing in Clark Kent's headphones...

11/07/2025

L3Harris Delivers First P-8A Poseidon Aircraft to US Navy

L3Harris Technologies President of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Jason Lambert and General Manager of L3Harris Waco facility Sean Ling held a ce...

11/07/2025

WETA Launches WETA+ Free Streaming Service

ARLINGTON, Va. WETA, the flagship public media station in the national capital area, has launched WETA+, a new streaming service tailored for the local Washingt...

11/07/2025

TV Tech's Top Regulatory Stories of 2025

The Federal Communications Commission has emerged as one of the central players in the broadcast TV landscape in 2025, with its deregulatory policies sparking h...

11/07/2025

Calrec to Feature Suite of Interconnected Audio Solutions at IBC2025

Calrec will introduce usability, customization and system enhancements across its entire range of Argo consoles during IBC2025, Sept. 12-15, at the RAI Amsterda...

11/07/2025

Encompass Supports DAZN's Coverage of 2025 FIFA Club World Cup

LONDON Encompass Digital Media said it will support live and on-demand viewing of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup across multiple global regions for sports enterta...

11/07/2025

SBE Survey: Certified Broadcast Engineers Earn More

Two-thirds of broadcast engineers reaped the benefits of a pay raise within the last year....

11/07/2025

SmallHD Unveils Quantum 27 OLED Monitor

CARY, N.C. SmallHD has launched the Quantum 27, a new 26.5-inch Quantum-Dot OLED monitor designed to deliver postproduction image quality in a compact, set-frie...

11/07/2025

Tegna Will Pay $225K to Settle FCC Investigation

The Federal Communications Commission's Enforcement Bureau and Tegna have entered into a consent decree that will settle an investigation into the accidenta...

11/07/2025

Sens. Markey, Lujn Again Call for FCC Vote on Paramount-Skydance Merger

WASHINGTON Following news in early July that Paramount had settled President Donald Trump's lawsuit, Sens. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Ben Ray Luj n (D-N...

11/07/2025

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert

Model/Actriz Performs Lead Single Cinderella on The Late Show with Stephen Colbe...

11/07/2025

Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks Adjusts Broadcast Booths for Rangers, Devils

Behind the Mic: Amazon Prime Preps for First Season of NBA Action; MSG Networks ...

11/07/2025

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Clients' Needs With Scalable Cloud-Based Storage

SVG New Sponsor Spotlight: Suite Studios' Craig Hering on Adapting to Client...

11/07/2025

2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transition to the Cloud

2025 SVG Content Management Forum Breaks Down AI's Impact, Continued Transit...

11/07/2025

A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP

A Journey HOME: University of Nebraska's HuskerVision Goes IP Leaders from the HuskerVision and Lawo share their IP learnings By SVG Staff Friday, July 1...

11/07/2025

CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimbledon

CMSI, Remote Picture Labs, Ace ESPN's Cloud-Based Editing Efforts for Wimble...

11/07/2025

Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-Serrano 3 Card at MSG

Netflix Enters the Live-Boxing-Production Ring for Round 2 With Historic Taylor-...

11/07/2025

'Too Hot to Handle: Italy' Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix

Back to All News Too Hot to Handle: Italy Is Coming on July 18 Only on Netflix Entertainment 11 July 2025 GlobalItaly Link copied to clipboard July 11, 20...

11/07/2025

Netflix Will Release 'Death Inc.' Seasons 1, 2 and 3

Back to All News Netflix Will Release Death Inc. Seasons 1, 2 and 3 Entertainment 11 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard Season 1 Season 2 Se...

11/07/2025

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration

AI and Multimedia Authenticity Standards Collaboration launches two papers to guide the future of AI integration, today at the AI for Good Global Summit The...

11/07/2025

A Gaming GPU Helps Crack the Code on a Thousand-Year Cultural Conversation

Ceramics - the humble mix of earth, fire and artistry - have been part of a global conversation for millennia. From Tang Dynasty trade routes to Renaissance pa...

10/07/2025

Taliban repression silences award-winning Afghan woman journalist

The current holder of the prestigious Thomson Foundation Young Journalist of the Year Award has been forced to stop reporting over fears for her safety in Afgha...

10/07/2025

A New Report Puts Aussie Artists in the Spotlight

Spotify is turning up the volume on Australian music with a multipronged initiative designed to highlight the dominance of Australian artists on the global stag...

10/07/2025

Spotify Toasts Oasis's Return With Exclusive Ways for Fans to Get Closer to the Music That Defined a Generation

This is not a drill: Oasis is back on the road-marking its first live performanc...

10/07/2025

Spotify and Youth Music Open Doors for Future Artists

The music industry depends on fresh ideas, bold voices, and emerging talent. Yet across the U.K., too many young musicians lack the space to develop their craft...

10/07/2025

Nielsen Appoints Richard Pacheco as Head of Global Partnerships

NEW YORK - July 10, 2025 - Nielsen, the global leader in audience measurement, data and analytics, today announced that it appointed Richard Pacheco as head of ...

10/07/2025

Sponsored: Robotic Deployments Are Transforming Local News

Local newscasts don't exist in a vacuum. News directors and station management constantly evaluate what's working, what isn't and perhaps most impor...

10/07/2025

Stuttgart Media University Upgrades Studio with Lawo mc56

Lawo has announced that Stuttgart Media University (Hochschule der Medien, HdM) has comprehensively modernized its central recording studio after selecting an I...

10/07/2025

SMPTE Opens Early Bird Registration for Media Technology Summit

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has opened early-bird registration for the Media Technology Summit, which will take place in a ne...

10/07/2025

TNDV Television Launches Aspiration 35 to Support Cinematic Workflows

NASHVILLE, Tenn. TNDV Television has launched Aspiration 35, a new version of its 40-foot Aspiration truck reimagined for cinematic multicamera productions....

10/07/2025

Key Code Education Launches Beginner, Intermediate Training Courses

BURBANK, Calif. Key Code Education, a provider of instructor-led postproduction training, is growing its curriculum with new programs for beginner and intermedi...

10/07/2025

Actus Digital to Show Actus X Intelligent Monitoring With AI at IBC2025

HACKENSACK, N.J. Actus Digital will demonstrate how broadcasters can transform compliance monitoring from a necessary expense into a strategic revenue driver at...

10/07/2025

Comments on FCC Ownership Rules Due in August

The Federal Register has published a summary of the Federal Communications Commission's Public Notice seeking comments on its ownership rules that lists a d...

10/07/2025

Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for 'Superestar'

Back to All News Netflix Presents the Official Trailer for SuperestarPlay Video Play Video Entertainment 10 July 2025 GlobalSpain Link copied to clipboard...

10/07/2025

From Terabytes to Turnkey: AI-Powered Climate Models Go Mainstream

In the race to understand our planet's changing climate, speed and accuracy are everything. But today's most widely used climate simulators often strugg...

10/07/2025

Indonesia on Track to Achieve Sovereign AI Goals With NVIDIA, Cisco and IOH

As one of the world's largest emerging markets, Indonesia is making strides toward its Golden 2045 Vision - an initiative tapping digital technologies and...

10/07/2025

VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing

10 Jul 2025 VEON and Cohen Circle Secure Investor Commitments for Kyivstar Listing Kyiv, New York, Dubai, and Philadelphia - July 10, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq:...

10/07/2025

5G for All? What the DFL's Use of Easy5G, RefCam Could Mean for Events in the Future

5G for all? What the DFL's use of Easy5G and RefCam could mean for events in...

10/07/2025

Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-15

Save the Date: PGA TOUR Studios Welcomes SVG Remote Production Summit on Oct 14-...

10/07/2025

Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New Era

Cloud on the Road: How Remote-Production-Service Providers Are Adapting to a New...

10/07/2025

Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions In-House

Seattle Kraken's Ryan Schaber on the NHL Team Taking Live Game Productions I...

10/07/2025

FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First Production

FOX Sports Reboots Small Control Room in Los Angeles as Hub for Vertical-First P...

10/07/2025

SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint Venture Targeting Local-Sports-Media Market

SVG Sit-Down: MSE's Zach Leonsis, ViewLift's Rick Allen Go Deep on Joint...

10/07/2025

From Treehouses to the Deep Sea: A First Look at Sky Kids New Adventures

Thursday 10 July 2025 The Very Small Creatures Jaime's Treetop Tales Emerald BooSnoo! Christmas Mashup Pip & Posy's Spooktacular Party The Very Sm...

10/07/2025

Millions of Sky customers set to enjoy even bigger rewards as Sky VIP loyalty programme gets a major upgrade

Thursday 10 July 2025 Brand new rewards are coming to Sky customers, with free ...