Spotify is reshaping its leadership. Founder Daniel Ek will step aside as CEO to become Executive Chairman in 2026, handing day-to-day control to two longtime lieutenants who’ve already been steering the company’s direction behind the scenes.
Gustav Söderström, co-President and Chief Product and Technology Officer, and Alex Norström, co-President and Chief Business Officer, have been named co-Chief Executive Officers. Söderström and Norström, both with more than 15 years at Spotify, will also join the company’s Board of Directors, subject to shareholder approval.
The company noted that the move formalizes how Spotify has operated since 2023, with the co-Presidents overseeing strategy and operations. As Executive Chairman, Ek will focus on capital allocation, long-term vision, and supporting senior leadership.
Ek said, “I always believed that Spotify could play an important role in revolutionizing listening around the world, and with more than 700 million users, we’ve truly charted a new course, bringing creativity to every corner of the globe. Over the last few years, I’ve turned over a large part of the day-to-day management and strategic direction of Spotify to Alex and Gustav, who have shaped the company from our earliest days and are now more than ready to guide our next phase. This change simply matches titles to how we already operate. In my role as Executive Chairman, I will focus on the long arc of the company and keep the Board and our co-CEOs deeply connected through my engagement.”
Spotify Lead Independent Director Woody Marshall added, “The Board has been working closely with Daniel on the evolution of Spotify’s leadership structure for several years. We have tremendous confidence in Alex and Gustav as they step into these roles. They each have more than 15 years with the company and have been instrumental in driving our success and enabling Spotify to lead our industry. We are also thrilled that Daniel will be actively involved, giving Spotify both founder-led strategic stewardship and mentorship to the co-CEOs as the company continues to innovate and scale.”
In a joint statement, the incoming co-CEOs said, “We’ve worked together a very long time and have seen Spotify through many different chapters. Nearly three years ago, when we stepped into our roles as co-Presidents, we charged our teams with relentlessly focusing on building the best and most valuable experience available anywhere and that ambition hasn’t changed. While we bring different experiences and perspectives to the CEO role, we both have a strong bias to action and can’t wait to get started knowing that we will have Daniel’s full partnership and ongoing support.”
The leadership changes take effect January 1.
