Former Fairfax digital boss Jane Huxley has emerged as the managing director for internet radio company Pandora, which has just launched in Australia and New Zealand.
Huxley's resurfacing at Pandora signals the internet radio company is looking to make waves in the local market. She will be responsible for the strategy and direction of the business.
Huxley was previously the well-regarded chief executive and publisher of Fairfax Metro's digital arm.
She left the company at the end of May earlier this year after Metro chief executive Jack Matthews opted to split her role.
During her time at Fairfax, she spearheaded many initiatives at the media company including the establishment of the Fairfax Women's Network
A veteran of the digital and technology industries, she worked for Microsoft for 15 years and also had a stint at Vodafone.
Pandora, which has been active in the US for 12 years, works in allowing users to personalise 'stations' based on their music preferences. It can be accessed as an app on the Android and iOS platforms as well as a web-based player. The company has also signed a partnership with Holden which will see its app become fully compatible with the car brand's MyLink Infotainment system.
As part of the local launch, Pandora has added an Australian and New Zealand-specific repertoire to its catalogue.
Huxley said: “I feel as though I've stumbled upon music's greatest secret and I can't wait for Australians and New Zealanders to enjoy music the Pandora way.
"This version of Pandora has been built specifically for Australians and New Zealanders and we are going to be all about bringing the best music experience of local and international artists as well as supporting local musicians. It's an honour for me to be able to introduce Australians and New Zealanders to Pandora.”
She added her focus for the coming year will be to quickly grow the audience for Pandora.
Founder and chief strategy officer Tim Westergren has arrived in the region for launch activities. He said: “After years of preparation and anticipation we are absolutely thrilled to fully launch Pandora internationally in Australia and New Zealand.
"With the huge number of mobile device users in Australia and New Zealand, we anticipate fast adoption of our free mobile apps that allow people to listen to their personalised stations on the go, wherever they are.”
Of Pandora's 175 million registered users in the US, more than 115 million have accessed the smartphone apps.
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