Acast Hires Kate Mander as Commercial Development Manager

Acast has appointed Kate Mander as Commercial Development Manager UK/IE. She joins Acast Creative, the company’s in-house creative team, and will be responsible for major brand partnerships and activations.

According to the company, Mander has more than a decade’s experience in the talent industry, both as a former agent and in her previous role as head of Talent Partnerships at the Stylist Group. She will develop brand opportunities with leading talent from across the Acast Creator Network, which covers a variety of products, from original branded podcast series to live events, as well as co-creating books, at-home meal kits and other brand extensions.

Acast adds that she’ll support the growth of Acast Creative, which develops bespoke, innovative campaigns to deliver brand stories in podcasting and beyond. Launched in 2019, Acast Creative offers solutions such as long-form audio formats and campaign amplification including social, experiential and product launches — all rooted in Acast’s leading podcasting talent, says the company. 

Acast Creative recently introduced Sponsored Stories, a premium podcast ad format that combines sponsorship and branded content. The format focuses on storytelling, dynamically inserts the ads across a podcast’s back catalog.

“Podcasting is constantly evolving, and smart brands are seeing the opportunity to work with creators on original series, live experiences, and even physical products,” said Jack Preson, Director of Acast Creative UK & US. “Kate’s vast experience and her understanding of the talent industry will help our podcasters make even more money — and will unlock unique new opportunities for the brands they work with,” he said.

“At Acast we understand that podcasters are artists, not algorithms, and I can’t wait to start bringing more truly collaborative commercial opportunities to brands,” comment Mander.