Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) has announced a major leadership restructure at LiSTNR, positioning the platform for its next stage of growth.
Launched in 2021, LiSTNR has quickly evolved into a key player in Australia’s digital audio landscape, boasting 2.25 million signed-up users and more than 10 million monthly listeners across its radio streaming and podcasting network.
The platform’s prominence in the Australian Podcast Ranker and its rising commercial performance underscore its growing significance within SCA’s broader “All About Audio” strategy.
Aligning leadership with commercial ambition
To steer LiSTNR through this next chapter, SCA has appointed Chief Operating Officer Stephen Haddad to lead the platform, supported by a newly bolstered leadership team.
The restructure sees internal promotions for long-serving executives Grant Tothill, Sam Cavanagh, and Mike Williams, a move that not only reinforces continuity but also signals SCA’s intent to double down on content innovation, operational rigour and audience growth.
Olly Newton, meanwhile, continues in his role as Executive Head of LiSTNR Commercial, where he leads LiSTNR’s commercial strategy and drives the digital audio commercial division within the business, reporting to SCA’s Chief Commercial Officer Seb Rennie.
Haddad described the shift as a strategic realignment that integrates content leadership with operational focus.
“LiSTNR’s momentum is no accident, it’s the result of targeted investment in data infrastructure, premium content, and a clear future-facing vision,” he said.
“This new team structure allows us to enhance audience engagement and accelerate commercial outcomes for advertisers.”
New roles reflect evolving content and distribution strategy
In a newly created position, Tothill steps into the role of Executive Head, LiSTNR Operations and Audience.
He’ll oversee all operational facets of the platform, lead data-driven audience acquisition strategies, and develop a scalable distribution model that optimises reach across LiSTNR’s growing audio ecosystem.
With more than three decades in media, spanning radio, music, partnerships and podcasting, Tothill brings deep expertise in content-led growth.
His prior work as Executive Head of LiSTNR Audience and Growth and Director of Entertainment & Content Solutions has helped shape the platform’s audience strategy and commercial footprint.
Cavanagh, appointed Head of Content, LiSTNR Original Podcasts, will focus on developing and commissioning new titles.
His remit includes ensuring original content meets strategic targets and delivers performance across key verticals like entertainment, factual and sport.
Cavanagh’s creative credentials span two decades, most notably as the former Executive Producer of Hamish & Andy, as well as content leadership roles at Thinkerbell and influencer marketing agency Tribe.
Williams takes on the role of LiSTNR Head of Entertainment & Culture.
In this capacity, he will oversee the entertainment vertical, managing podcast producers and ensuring content meets the expectations of increasingly segmented, interest-driven audiences.
Williams, a former ABC content strategist and producer with more than 16 years in the audio industry, has been instrumental in driving LiSTNR’s editorial standards since joining in 2022 as Executive Producer of Original Podcasts.
A data-rich platform for advertisers
At the heart of these structural changes is a clear commercial intent.
LiSTNR’s expansive listener base, combined with first-party data capabilities, gives SCA a potent proposition for advertisers seeking precision, scale and engagement.
The promotions also suggest SCA’s confidence in retaining and developing internal talent to meet advertiser expectations around accountability and ROI.
With the podcasting space increasingly viewed through a performance marketing lens, advertisers are demanding clearer attribution and content alignment, expectations SCA appears primed to meet.
In a rapidly fragmenting media environment, SCA’s decision to recalibrate LiSTNR’s leadership isn’t just about structure, it’s about intent.