Acast expands into Queensland, Australia with new hire and announces raft of key promotions

From left to right: Samantha Mee, Daisy Smith, Lauren Everist, Ally Marchetti, Madison Symonds, Keegan Litchfield

Leading podcast company Acast has announced a raft of promotions in the Acast AU/NZ sales team and appointed Lauren Everist in the newly created role of Senior Account Manager, Queensland.

Everist brings to Acast twenty years of diverse, award-winning commercial experience in media, most recently spending eight years in Audio at ARN Brisbane. Her expertise extends across Broadcast TV, Out of Home and Digital/Print, with roles encompassing Sales, Insights & Strategy and Trade Marketing. Everist is a four-time winner at the Media I Awards and was awarded ‘Best Creative Campaign’ at the Australian Podcast Awards in 2022.

The local podcasting scene is thriving in Queensland across genres spanning from comedy to true crime and Everist will oversee the strategic direction and growth of Acast’s sales presence in the region. As the exclusive host for Queensland-based shows Alpha Blokes, Basically Besties, We Got The Chocolates, One Minute Remaining, Proper True Yarn and Bloody Brilliant Beers, Acast provides valuable opportunities for local brands and agencies to connect with highly engaged audiences.

Everist says:

“Queensland creators are producing some of the best content in the country and being able to bring Acast’s world-class podcasts and advertising solutions to my local market feels just right. There’s so much potential for brands and agencies to use podcasting as part of their media mix, so it’s exciting to hit the ground running with the incredible team at Acast. I look forward to connecting with new and familiar clients in my new role.”

Alongside Everist’s appointment, Acast has announced promotions in their Sydney and Melbourne-based sales teams for Ally Marchetti, Daisy Smith, Keegan Litchfield, Samantha Mee and Madison Symonds. As a newly appointed Group Business Director, Ally Marchetti will oversee Acast’s dedicated sales team based in Melbourne, while Samatha Mee and Madison Symonds have been promoted to Senior Account Manager level in the Sydney-based sales team.

As the company expands its presence across Asia-Pacific, Daisy Smith will transition to the role of Programmatic Adtech Solutions Lead, APAC, and Keegan Litchfield is promoted to Director of Ad Operations, APAC. Their remit and responsibilities will shift to a broader focus, with all promotions taking effect on 1 April.

In addition, Kate Digby returns from maternity leave to the newly created role of Commercial Strategy Director. 

Henrik Isaksson, Regional Managing Director for Acast ANZ, says:

“I think Acast is very lucky to be working in an industry that is growing despite the economic headwinds many others are seeing. The expansion of our business to Queensland and the promotions is just one of many things we are looking to announce this year.”

The slew of announcements comes weeks after Acast posted its first year of profitability in the company’s year-end report. The business revealed a $44.9 million payout to creators in Australia and New Zealand since launching locally in 2017, with leading podcasts Casefile True Crime, Toni & Ryan and Between Two Beers joining the Acast Creator Network over the past seven months. Digital audio advertising is one of the most significant growth markets in Australian media and Acast now hosts more than 140,000 podcasts globally, providing extensive opportunities for brands to reach new audiences.