Deezer Announces its New CEO

As a member of the Board of Directors, Hans-Holger will continue to support Deezer. At the end of June 2021, the transfer will take place.

FREMONT, CA: Deezer, the global audio streaming service, announced the appointment of Jeronimo Folgueira as the company’s new CEO. He succeeds Hans-Holger Albrecht, a veteran of the entertainment industry who has been in charge of the company’s reform and expansion since 2015. As a member of the Board of Directors, Hans-Holger will continue to support Deezer. At the end of June 2021, the transfer will take place.

Jeronimo Folgueira, newly appointed CEO of Deezer, commented: “I couldn’t be more excited to join Deezer. I’m passionate about music and podcasts. They hold a unique place in our hearts and Deezer’s team has built a service that is the perfect companion to people’s daily lives. Deezer is a key player and contributor to the fast growth of music streaming around the world. We have a highly competitive platform with unique features that listeners love. That means we’re in a great place to accelerate our growth and capture many new opportunities, which will benefit both artists and music fans. I look forward to getting to know the team and writing the next chapter in the company’s history together.”

Folgueira was the Chief Executive Officer and Director of the Board of Spark Networks in Berlin before joining Deezer. He spearheaded the development of Spark Networks through three significant M&A transactions during that time, quadrupling the company’s size in four years. In November 2017, Folgueira supervised the company’s IPO on the New York Stock Exchange. At the time, he was the youngest European CEO on the NYSE.

“I look forward to working with Jeronimo. His experience, vision and passion make him the perfect leader to build on the success we’ve had so far and grow Deezer going forward. I would also like to thank Hans-Holger for his service and dedication. His leadership and focus have helped Deezer grow into a global player that challenges international giants, helps artists thrive and delivers a unique service to customers. It has been a pleasure to work closely together all these years and I look forward to having him on the Board of Directors,” said Guillaume d’Hauteville, Chairman of the Board, Deezer.

Jeronimo has also held top management positions at Betfair, Bigpoint, and RTL Group, among others. He graduated from Columbia Business School with an MBA and the University of Navarra with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics. He sits on the board of Tio Tech, a Nasdaq-listed SPAC that intends to help European unicorns gain access to US capital markets.

“My years as the CEO of Deezer have allowed me to lead a fantastic team on a growth journey. With the support of all shareholders and partners, a passionate team of 600 people have built the 4th largest global audio streaming service in the world. Our revenues have grown over 300% in the last five years and our platform averages more than 600 monthly streams per active user.  We have a clear strategy in place to deliver long term, sustainable growth and value for shareholders, artists and users. The recent investment in Dreamstage will also allow us to continue innovating the relationship between artists and fans,” said Hans-Holger Albrecht, CEO Deezer.

“My special thanks go to Len Blavatnik, who has been an amazing supporter and shareholder during these years, and to my Chairman, Guillaume d’Hauteville. He’s been a perfect wingman and creative partner and I look forward to working with him and the rest of the Deezer Board as an advisor and Board Member. I will also continue to be an investor in Deezer going forward,” added Hans-Holger.