Dawn Ostroff Joins Spotify as Chief Content Officer

Dawn Ostroff, one of the most influential women in media, has joined Spotify as the music streaming company’s new chief content officer. Ostroff will lead “all aspects” of the streamer’s content partnerships across music, audio and video.

“I’m excited to welcome Dawn Ostroff to the band!” Spotify CEO Daniel Ek tweeted Tuesday.

Spotify said Ostroff will oversee several key departments, including Shows & Editorial, Studios & Video, Creator Services, Creator Marketplace and Content Operations.

Ostroff’s hire boosts Spotify’s top executive female ranks; her position is on par with that of Spotify’s chief HR officer, Katarina Berg. She replaces Stefan Blom, who exited in January.

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Since 2011, Ostroff has been the president of entertainment at Conde Nast Entertainment, tasked with exploiting the publisher’s 19 titles across film, TV and digital media.

Before joining CNE, Ostroff was president of The CW, in charge of a primetime slate that included hit shows like Gossip Girl, One Tree Hill and The Vampire Diaries, among others. From 2002-2006, Ostroff served as president of the now-defunct UPN Network, where she developed the popular reality series America’s Next Top Model.

Meanwhile, CNE said in an internal memo obtained by The Hollywood Reporter that COO Sahar Elhabashi will serve as interim head of CNE and lead the company’s video strategy until Ostroff’s replacement is named. Read the full CNE memo from Conde Nast CEO Bob Sauerberg below.

Team – It is with mixed emotions I share the news that Dawn Ostroff, president of CNE, will be leaving at the end of July to take on a new role as global chief content officer for Spotify. 

I first talked to Dawn back in 2011 about joining Condé Nast to establish our video business when it was no more than an idea we sketched on my white board. In short order, she built Condé Nast Entertainment, a thriving digital and social video business that reaches an average of 50 million unique viewers, generating more than 1.1 billion views per month, and a burgeoning TV and film studio. We currently have eight TV series in production or on the air, including the multiple award-winning “Last Chance U” on Netflix, and our fourth feature film, “The Old Man and the Gun,” starring Robert Redford, Sissy Spacek and Casey Affleck, which will be released by Fox Searchlight on September 28 and already is generating award buzz and new revenue for the company. We were well ahead of all our competitors when we launched CNE, and in large part due to Dawn’s prescience, leadership and the CNE team, remain so today. 

Simply put, our video business is one of the most important assets to our company’s future, recognized by our audiences and advertising partners alike. It is the fastest growing revenue stream here at Condé Nast and we are committed to tripling it in the next few years. I am extremely proud of what Dawn and the team at CNE have accomplished and we are in a great position to continue this growth trajectory long into the future.

Sahar Elhabashi, the chief operating officer, will serve as interim head of CNE and lead our video strategy until we name Dawn’s replacement. 

Please join me in both congratulating Dawn on her new global role at Spotify and thanking her for the innumerable contributions she made to Condé Nast. 

June 26, 10:46 a.m. This story has been updated with info about Ostroff’s replacement at CNE.

A version of this story first appeared on Billboard.com.