Financial Times hires Brumley as global head of audio

Cheryl Brumley has been appointed as global head of audio, reports the Financial Times. The role is a new one designed to strengthen the FT’s audio offering.

Brumley was previously employed at The Economist. In addition, she has also worked as a freelance producer for podcast and broadcast outlets, including Public Radio International and BBC World Service.

At FT, she will be overseeing a global team dedicated to building reach and monetization strategies through audio content. Together, the team will come up with methods to integrate audio into a subscription model and oversee the FT’s plans to reach and engage listeners.

“Audio is part of our broader strategy to provide diverse formats and experiences of FT journalism to our audience. At a time when podcasts and voice are becoming increasingly important to global audiences, Cheryl brings a wealth of expertise and success in producing and delivering great audio journalism,” said Renée Kaplan, FT head of audience and new content strategies.

Earlier this month, the FT launched its first podcast exclusively for subscribers, The Rachman Review, on Acast’s new paywall podcast platform. It was hosted by award-winning commentator Gideon Rachman and featuring intimate conversations with analysts and decision-makers. The podcast aims to deepen subscriber engagement with FT journalism.

The FT News Briefing, launched last October has crossed one million monthly listeners. It was designed for voice assistants and smart speakers.