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The Podcast Show 2025 is supported by an International Industry Advisory Panel, consisting of a group of figureheads from across the global podcast community. They will advise the Show across all aspects of the festival to make sure it’s as meaningful and helpful as possible to the podcast community.
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Bernard P Achampong - Unedited
Bernard P Achampong, a consummate creative and media professional and eight-time Radio Academy Award winner and Rose D'Or nominee, was the driving force behind the sold-out presentation of "7 Secrets of Immersive Storytelling" at the London Podcast Show in 2022.
He has served as a board member of Creative UK and is currently vice-chair of Audio UK.
He is an advocate for diversity and representation in the creative industry as well as an advocate for creator ownership and intellectual property.
His production company, Unedited, continues to produce ground-breaking programming including Spotify's Sounds of Black Britain and BBC's 1Xtra Talks. The documentary "HRH The Prince of Wales: Building Bridges" and delivering Spotify's Sound Up programme for the UK and Ireland are two career highlights.
His first children's television programme, Skin Deep for CBBC, which explores identity for boys between the ages of 7 and 11, was produced in 2021.
Shelby Schenkman - UTA Creators
Shelby Schenkman is a creators agent at leading global talent, entertainment and sports company UTA, where she represents talent and helps build and establish audio and digital businesses for the agency’s multifaceted roster of artists and creators.
She represents a variety of podcast networks, creators and production companies including Dear Media, The Boston Globe, Jamie Laing & Sophie Habboo and their company Jampot, Small Town Murder, RedHanded, The Psychology of Your 20’s among others.
Schenkman started her career in the mailroom at UTA after graduating from the University of Southern California. Since starting at UTA she has worked out of the Los Angeles, New York and London offices.
Steve Ackerman - Sony Music Entertainment
Steve Ackerman is Executive Vice President, Head of Global Podcasts at Sony Music Entertainment (SME). Based in New York, Ackerman runs the division’s US and UK-based operations and spearheads SME’s global podcast content and development business strategy. Prior to this role, Ackerman was Chief Content Officer and Managing Director of acclaimed UK podcast and audio production company Somethin’ Else.
Since joining the company in 2000, he helped to build the business into a successful content brand specializing in audio, social media, TV production, and podcasting, leading the company to become the UK’s biggest independent podcast producer. Prior to Somethin’ Else, Ackerman was a Producer, Radio DJ and Journalist.
Jenna Weiss Berman - Pineapple Street Studios / Audacy
Jenna Weiss-Berman is the Executive Vice President, Podcasts, Audacy, and Co-Founder of Pineapple Street Studios, which has made such podcasts as Missing Richard Simmons, 9/12, Still Processing, Wind of Change, The Clearing, and the Catch and Kill Podcast with Ronan Farrow. Pineapple Street Studios is the long-time podcast partner of brands and studios including HBO, Netflix, Apple TV+, Amazon, Nike, and Mailchimp.
Before starting Pineapple Street, Jenna worked in public radio for a decade, and started the podcast department at BuzzFeed. She currently sits on the advisory board of The Moth and co-chairs the Google Podcast Creator Program.
Ruth Fitzsimons - Formerly Podfront UK
Ruth Fitzsimons is the former Managing Director of Podfront UK, a joint venture between two of the world's biggest podcast companies, Stitcher and Wondery. Podfront also represented premium podcast networks like NBC, NPR and Sports Social. Podfront offered British advertisers a route to directly reach millions of listeners via podcast favourites like British Scandal, Pod Save America, Freakonomics, Oprah's Super Soul Conversations, NPR, NBC and many more.
Prior to Podfront UK, Ruth was SVP of International Operations at audioBoom. Previously award-winning radio producer and journalist with credits in UK and Ireland including BBC, LBC, RTÉ and Newstalk.
James Cridland - Podnews
James Cridland is Editor of Podnews, the daily podcast newsletter. He is a radio futurologist - a writer, consultant and public speaker on radio’s future. He has worked in audio since 1989 as an award-winning copywriter, radio presenter, and internet strategist.
Part of the team that laid the foundations for the UK Radioplayer, he has since worked for a variety of businesses across the world, including Canada’s Vista Radio, receiver and silicon manufacturers Pure and Frontier Silicon, talkSPORT, the ABC, and a variety of media companies in Europe, North America, Asia and Australia; helping them focus on the benefits and challenges that new platforms bring to their business. He was an advisor to podcast host Captivate, which was acquired by Global in December 2021.
A founder of the hybrid radio technology association RadioDNS, he is an Associate Member of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, and was made an Honorary Life Member of the UK’s Student Radio Association.
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Donald Albright - Tenderfoot TV
Donald Albright is an Atlanta based entrepreneur and CEO/Co-founder of the award winning independent podcast production studio Tenderfoot TV. Since launching in 2016, Tenderfoot has released critically acclaimed and hit podcast series including “Up and Vanished,” “Monster,” “Radio Rental,” "Dear Alana," “To Live and Die in LA,” and more, amassing over 800 million downloads.
Albright is a founding Governor of The Podcast Academy, non profit professional organization for podcasters, where he served as Chairperson for three years, and now chairs the Ambies/Awards committee.
He is also an Executive Advisor for BIPOC Podcast Creators, an organization dedicated to the amplification of BIPOC talent, as well as a member of the Advisory Board for The Podcast Show London, the biggest international festival for the business of podcasting.