“Bob Carrigan is among the most accomplished, creative, intellectually adept, and inspirational CEOs I have watched succeed over my twenty years of studying and chronicling businesses and my twenty-four years leading Audible,” said Katz. “His transformational stewardship as CEO of the pioneering global information and subscription services juggernaut, IDG, and his visionary leadership as CEO of the venerable international data and analytics institution that is Dun & Bradstreet testify to his rare ability to field big ideas and turn them into customer-centric action. Both companies became far more connected to their customers, to their founding entrepreneurial roots, and both became more meaningful places to work.”
“Bob and I have traded insights on how to translate complex ideas into clear strategic and tactical action as trusted confidantes for years,” Katz continued. “From the time Bob and I first met, when he was a senior executive at AOL two decades ago, I have watched him positively disrupt institutional status quos to measurable and lasting effect. I could not be more thrilled that the stars have aligned to allow him to join the Audible adventure full-time. Bob has lived Audible’s People Principles in his own way over three decades. To welcome someone like Bob as CEO is a thrilling leap forward for me, for our talented and committed employees around the world, and for our many millions of loyal listeners and the many millions more to come.”
As Executive Chairman, Katz will work closely with Carrigan on overarching strategies as Carrigan takes over responsibility for global business operations. Katz will also focus on Audible’s global content strategy and the company’s extensive social and public policy objectives in Newark and other locations.
“Audible’s evolution from start-up to global powerhouse is a remarkable business and cultural phenomenon,” said Carrigan. “I could not be more honored and excited to join Don and the talented people who have worked so hard to serve millions of customers and so many of our most gifted professional creators. I’m looking forward to being part of Audible’s next chapter as it soars into the future.”
Carrigan most recently served as the Executive Chairman of Genscape, a leading provider of data and analytics to the global energy markets, until its sale to Verisk Analytics in November 2019. Previously, Mr. Carrigan served as Chairman and CEO of Dun & Bradstreet, where he led a business, technology, and cultural transformation that restored the iconic 177-year-old firm to consistent, profitable growth. Before that, Carrigan served as CEO of IDG, transforming that company from traditional print publisher to modern media company, growing multiple new revenue streams across 200 countries. Carrigan also spent four years at America Online Inc. as senior vice president of Interactive Marketing, leading business development for all technology channels. Carrigan is a former member and Chairman of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB). His industry distinctions include Ernst & Young NJ Master Entrepreneur of the Year, Folio 100 Industry Influencer and CEO Innovator of the Year for Large Business Publishers.
Prior to founding Audible, Katz was a journalist and author for twenty years; his work won a National Magazine Award, an Overseas Press Club Award, the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize for Nonfiction, and was nominated for a National Book Critics Circle Award, among other prizes. In 1994, Katz’s idea that the future of media would be transformed by ubiquitous pocket-borne solid state devices packed with the sound of culture led to the creation of Audible. Today, Audible operates nine Audible audio services beyond the U.S.: audible.co.uk, audible.de, audible.fr, audible.com.au, audible.co.jp, audible.it, audible.ca and two services in India, audible.in and Audible Suno.
Katz is also the founder of Newark Venture Partners, a social impact early-stage investment fund and ultra-bandwidth accelerator that seeks to connect Newark – Audible’s global headquarters – to the early-stage technology start-up innovation economy.
ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.
Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible content includes more than 475,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers.
