Audio Network Set For Growth With Key Hires

LONDON, November 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

- Music group hires Matthew Hawn as Head of Product and Customer Experience and Annie Reading as Head of People 

Independent music company Audio Network today announces two senior appointments. Matthew Hawn joins as Head of Product and Customer Experience, and Annie Reading becomes Head of People. The new roles have been created to meet increasing demand as the global company enters a new chapter of growth.

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Matthew Hawn, who has previously worked for Sony, Universal and Last.fm, will be responsible for the evolution of Audio Network's customer experience and help drive its digital, marketing and product development strategy. Hawn will work closely with Audio Network's in-house development team to deliver e-commerce revenue growth, and meet the demands of a new breed of content creator, keen to amplify their creativity through Audio Network's music.

Annie Reading joins Audio Network as Head of People and brings over 20 years of industry experience to the Audio Network community with extensive knowledge in recruitment, compliance, HR transformation, coaching, and employee relations. Reading will be responsible for Audio Network's 130 strong staff in its 8 offices around the world. The appointments are the first under recently appointed CEO Chris Blakeston who will work closely with Annie and Matthew, and coincides with the launch of a new brand identity for the group. Both will be based in Audio Network's London HQ in Farringdon, but will travel frequently to the company's sites around the world.

Chris Blakeston CEO said,  

"We're thrilled to welcome Annie and Matthew to the Audio Network family as we embark on this next chapter of growth. The experience and passion they bring will be invaluable. We've grown our business by being nimble, pushing boundaries, thinking creatively, and bringing in the very best talent in the industry. Today we're proud to call ourselves a global and independent music company, working with talented composers and artist all around the world to meet the same simple promise; incredible music for use on any platform, anywhere in the world, forever." 

Matthew Hawn said,  

"It's an exciting time to be part of a global music company like Audio Network. The explosion of video on so many screens and across so many channels has opened up amazing opportunities for new creators and existing production companies. Music is integral to the stories they are telling around the world and we're going to focus on delivering them products and services that are well-integrated with the tools they are already using." 

Annie Reading said, 

"I'm very proud to be part of the Audio Network journey as it enters a new chapter.  My key focus is to maintain our creativity with the dedicated employees that we have; allowing and encouraging our people to be the best they can." 

- Notes to editors

Matthew Hawn has been working professionally in digital media for more than 20 years. He started in San Francisco in the earliest days of the World Wide Web, as one of the founders of Macworld Online in 1994 and then joined MSNBC in 1996, working at the intersection of the internet and broadcast journalism as a producer and on-air presenter. In 1998, he left journalism to join the music industry as it began exploring digital distribution and new product development.  As part of the global digital business team at Universal Music and Sony Music in London and New York, he defined new products and opportunities with hundreds of digital music partners like Apple, YouTube, Spotify and Vodafone. In 2010, he joined Last.fm as VP for Product and Marketing, tripling the innovative music service's audience on platforms like the Xbox and mobile. Before joining Audio Network, Matthew also worked as a digital product strategist for global companies like Samsung, BBC and Microsoft to help them build media and entertainment services.

Annie Reading has a breadth of industry experience built over 20 years with both large and small companies in a variety of industries, which include Technology, Telecommunications and HR Consulting/HR Outsourcing. Annie also has experience managing projects for clients, latterly working for Viacom, Channel 5 and MTV.

About Audio Network 

Audio Network is an independent music company, breaking down boundaries to deliver authentic and creative music solutions to content creators in every industry, all around the world. The company collaborates with over 750 talented composers and artists, and has over 100,000 tracks in its catalogue, carefully curated into albums and playlists in every imaginable genre, all easily discoverable via its website http://www.audionetwork.com

Audio Network's commitment to producing world-class music takes it to some of the best recording facilities in the world. The company works with globally renowned orchestras and composers so that it can always honor their promise to put quality at the forefront of their business.

Audio Network first disrupted the market landscape in 2001, by offering a unique proposition to the media industry - a simple and transparent model that allowed its music to be used on any platform, anywhere in the world, forever. Since its inception 15 years ago, the business has grown exponentially. In fact, The Sunday Times lists Audio Network as a one of the UK's fastest growing companies (Tech Track 2011, 2012, 2013; Profit Track 100 2013, 2014 and 2015; SME Export track 2015). The company continuously invests in its people, its music and its clients with offices in London, LA, New York, Toronto, Amsterdam, Sydney, Munich and Manchester, and over 130 dedicated music advisers and aficionados working with the team.

Now under the leadership of new CEO Chris Blakeston and with the guidance of its original founders Robert Hurst and Andrew Sunnucks, that model remains at the heart of the business as the company enters a new phase of expansion. 

Audio Network is ready to liberate its music to the rest of the world with the same simple promise - incredible music for use on any platform, anywhere in the world, forever.

For further information please contact:
Rachel Davidson | Davidson PR LTD
m. +44(0)7714499709
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w. http://www.davidsonpr.co.uk

SOURCE Audio Network