AudioUK Appoints Chris Baughen as Chief Executive Officer
AudioUK, the body dedicated to advancing the podcast and audio industry announces the appointment of Chris Baughen as its new Chief Executive Officer. He will take up the role from 30th March 2026.
The appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the industry, as podcasting and audio continue to expand commercially and creatively across platforms including radio, video podcasts, audiobooks and immersive formats. With increasing engagement from advertisers, commissioners and policymakers, AudioUK’s leadership role in representing and advancing the industry has never been more important.
Chris brings deep industry expertise with more than 20 years’ experience in spanning radio, streaming, digital audio and podcasting. He has held senior leadership roles at Wondery, Spotify, Global and Deezer, building high-performing teams and delivering sustainable commercial growth across the UK and international markets.
His extensive experience provides a clear understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing independent producers and the wider podcast and audio ecosystem and aligns with AudioUK’s mission to support, champion and connect the businesses and creators shaping the future of UK podcasting and audio.
Under Chris’s leadership, AudioUK will focus on:
- Strengthening advocacy and policy representation for podcasting and audio
- Expanding member support, training and commercial opportunities
- Building strategic partnerships across the creative industries
- Ensuring the sector has a clear and influential voice in national and international conversations
Bernard Achampong, Chair of AudioUK said:
“Chris’s extensive experience in commercial podcasting, combined with his focus on intellectual property within our ecosystem, will help AudioUK lead the next phase of growth in podcasting and audio for the global marketplace.”
Chris Baughen said:
“The UK podcasting and audio sector is creatively vibrant and commercially ambitious. As platforms evolve and competition intensifies, it’s essential that our industry is organised, influential and future-focused. AudioUK will continue the great work of advocating for smart policy, support sustainable business models and build strategic partnerships that help our members thrive and I’m excited to help lead that next phase.”
AudioUK is the industry body dedicated to advancing the podcast and audio industry - including radio and audiobooks - by fostering innovation, supporting creators and businesses, and driving commercial and creative growth.
About AudioUK
AudioUK is the trade association for professional audio production companies, creative businesses around the UK making high-quality content for radio, podcasting, and audiobooks, as well as much more.
Our main aim is to help our member companies, and by extension the UK audio production industry as a whole, to operate successfully and to grow their businesses.
This is a press release which we link to from Podnews, our daily newsletter about podcasting and on-demand. We may make small edits for editorial reasons.