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Shima Osaka Shows How Advocating for Yourself is Part of Stepping Up | About Audible
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Osaka stands in the living room of her home. Behind her, bookshelves are filled with family photos, blue glass, books and art. She is smiling directly at the camera and is wearing a peach v-neck sweater."/></div></figure><time class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__Date__Saxj_">June 8, 2022</time><ul class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__SocialList__9RWvk"><li class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__Social__C3W_x"><a href="https://facebook.com/sharer/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fabout%2Fnewsroom%2Fshima-osaka-shows-how-advocating-for-yourself-is-part-of-stepping-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Share on Facebook"><div class="Icon_Icon__n_R_W Icon_Icon--dark__D4UOd"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="0 0 241 500"><path fill="currentColor" d="M0,165.4h51.7v-50.2c0-22.2,0.6-56.3,16.6-77.5C85.3,15.2,108.6,0,148.6,0c65.2,0,92.7,9.3,92.7,9.3 l-12.9,76.6c0,0-21.6-6.2-41.6-6.2c-20.1,0-38.1,7.2-38.1,27.3v58.4H231l-5.8,74.8h-76.7V500H51.7V240.2H0V165.4"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__Social__C3W_x"><a href="https://twitter.com/intent/tweet/?text=Shima%20Osaka%20Shows%20How%20Advocating%20for%20Yourself%20is%20Part%20of%20Stepping%20Up%20-%20%40audible_com&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fabout%2Fnewsroom%2Fshima-osaka-shows-how-advocating-for-yourself-is-part-of-stepping-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Share on Twitter"><div class="Icon_Icon__n_R_W Icon_Icon--dark__D4UOd"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="0 0 21 22"><path fill="currentColor" d="M12.416 9.028 20.183 0h-1.84l-6.744 7.84L6.212 0H0l8.145 11.854L0 21.322h1.84l7.122-8.279 5.689 8.279h6.212L12.416 9.028Zm-2.52 2.93-.826-1.18-6.566-9.392H5.33l5.299 7.58.825 1.18 6.889 9.853h-2.828l-5.62-8.04Z"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__Social__C3W_x"><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/sharing/share-offsite/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fabout%2Fnewsroom%2Fshima-osaka-shows-how-advocating-for-yourself-is-part-of-stepping-up" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-label="Share on LinkedIn"><div class="Icon_Icon__n_R_W Icon_Icon--dark__D4UOd"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 14 13"><path fill="currentColor" fill-rule="evenodd" d="M7.8 4v1.4C8.2 4.7 9.1 4 10.5 4c3 0 3.5 1.8 3.5 4.2V13h-2.9V8.7c0-1 0-2.3-1.5-2.3S7.9 7.5 7.9 8.7V13H5V4h2.8zM3 4v9H0V4h3zM1.5 0C2.3 0 3 .7 3 1.5S2.3 3 1.5 3 0 2.3 0 1.5.7 0 1.5 0z" clip-rule="evenodd"></path></svg></div></a></li><li class="SingleNewsTitle_SingleNewsTitle__Social__C3W_x"><a href="mailto:?subject=Audible%20Newsroom%20-%20Shima%20Osaka%20Shows%20How%20Advocating%20for%20Yourself%20is%20Part%20of%20Stepping%20Up&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.audible.com%2Fabout%2Fnewsroom%2Fshima-osaka-shows-how-advocating-for-yourself-is-part-of-stepping-up" target="_self" aria-label="Share by E-Mail"><div class="Icon_Icon__n_R_W Icon_Icon--email__PgtS6 Icon_Icon--dark__D4UOd"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" viewBox="0 0 30.02 29.96"><defs><path id="SVGID_1_" d="M24.49 14.11l-17.9-9c-.9-.4-1.9.4-1.5 1.3l2.5 6.7 11.4 1.9-11.4 1.9-2.5 6.7c-.3.9.6 1.7 1.5 1.2l17.9-9c.7-.3.7-1.3 0-1.7z"></path></defs><clipPath id="SVGID_2_"><use xlink:href="#SVGID_1_" overflow="visible"></use></clipPath><path fill="currentColor" clip-path="url(#SVGID_2_)" d="M0 0h30.02v29.96H0z"></path></svg></div></a></li></ul></header><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><p>Shima Osaka’s career journey is not a typical one. She was a practicing corporate lawyer, helping to launch Audible’s services for customers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, when she was asked to take on the role of country manager for our Japan service. We chatted with Osaka about that decision, the importance of self-awareness and speaking up in having a fulfilling career, and the exciting things the team in Japan have been working on.</p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>You have a fascinating career journey, from practicing law to being country manager for Japan. How did that come about?</h6><p>I went to college in Japan, then law school in the US at Columbia University. I took the New York State Bar but started my career in Japan working at a US law firm on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate deals. I did this for about 15 years, then thought, “Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Or should I try something new?” I’d been advising companies on international transactions, so I felt confident I could advise a company that wanted to do business in Japan. I found out Audible was looking for legal counsel for APAC and that really excited me. That was in 2015.</p><p>Maybe two months into my role, Audible launched its service for Japanese customers, so it was a quick ramp-up. I just absorbed as much as I could and worked closely with my business colleagues on the launch. I also worked closely with Australian law firms to learn their legal landscape, so I could flag potential issues for the Australia and APAC business.</p><p>I was surprised by how integrated I was into business issues as well as legal ones, and I was having fun being a part of building something. For my first two years, I was working closely with Matthew Gain, who had been the Australia country manager before he moved into an APAC leadership role. He approached me one day and said something like, “I think you’d be really good on the business side,” and he suggested I challenge myself to step into the Japan country manager position. </p><p>It was so encouraging to have the people I was working with believe in me like that—but I really had to think about it. I talked to different people at Audible, and to my family, and they could hear the excitement in my voice when I talked about the role. But I knew it would be a very steep learning curve: everything from putting together a budget, to tracking the monthly metrics, to understanding the various functions and how all the teams interact. As much as I was advising and understanding the business from a legal perspective, being a country manager would require a deep knowledge and experience of all these other areas.</p><p>Matthew was my mentor and said, “I’ll help you learn all that.” I watched everything he did. I had a lot of one-on-ones with people around me who said I could reach out any time, like Leanne Cartwright-Bradford, who recently became Head of Operations, APAC, when Matthew moved to a leadership role for our EU marketplaces. I felt like I had a support network that helped me through the transition. </p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>You were country manager for Japan for two years and then you did something pretty awesome, advocating for your success and well-being by asking for time to learn some things critical to your role. Can you describe your thought process around that decision?</h6><p>I was in the country manager role for about two years, and it was a whirlwind. During that time, we changed from an all-you-can-listen model to a credit model. About a year later, we were still moving forward at full steam, and I realized that to become the leader I knew the business needed, I wanted to dive deeper into specific functions of the business to provide strategic advice. First, I went to the content team to advise them on building a strong pipeline of titles for the Japanese marketplace. I then moved to advise marketing in order to better understand that team. I learned how to build a brand strategy and test it. I worked with customer experience and learned how to encourage more engagement. For about a year and a half I did this sort of tour, exploring all these areas of the business, hands-on, that I couldn’t go deep enough into as country manager. I was really fortunate to be able to do that. </p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>We often talk about career paths at Audible being less of a straight-up ladder and more of a journey with twists and turns and discoveries, like yours. Do you feel like an advocate for this model now?</h6><p>Yes, because at some point the straight-up ladder ends. This builds more depth in some ways. Audible is great because it encourages that. Who would have thought, 15 years ago starting my career in legal, this would be my path? I’ve enjoyed it. There’s no right path; it’s whatever is right for you. The skills you build along the way will help you in your journey. </p><p>Audible’s leadership made an effort to help me find that path, and it prepared me to return to the country manager role in December 2021. It’s been a totally different experience the second time around. </p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>What are some things your team has achieved recently?</h6><p>The audio entertainment wave has hit Japan these last couple years, and we are thrilled to be able to deliver this to our customers! We moved back to the all-you-can-listen model, with some fresh new content. Already, customers’ reactions have been very positive, so we’re looking forward to celebrating that. </p><p>Right now we’re excited about amplifying the strong voices of women, which we’ve done recently in honor of International Women’s Day in March and National Women’s Day in April. We’ve had six female celebrities narrate works by an iconic feminist poet, <a href="https://www.audible.com/author/Noriko-Ibaraki/B001I7JUUU" target="_blank">Noriko Ibaragi</a>. (You can hear a sample, in Japanese, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w4S259EkVpw" target="_blank">here</a>.) We’re so glad to be able to support female creatives like this.</p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>What do you like to do outside of work?</h6><p>I love to play sports, so I make sure to get to my tennis lessons! On weekends I watch movies with my kids. I have one who just left for college in New York, and my younger one is in seventh grade. I try to make sure we spend lots of time together because it goes by so quickly.</p></div><div class="SingleCopy_SingleCopy__bLg2o"><h6>What are some of your favorite listens?</h6><p>I recently listened to <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Audiobook/B08J7QZHKM" target="_blank">Momo</a> by Michael Ende (a fantasy novel written in 1973 that's been lauded for its prescience), and just loved how deep the story really is, even though it feels like a children’s story on its face. And <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/Atomic-Habits-Audiobook/1524779261" target="_blank">Atomic Habits</a> by James Clear reinforces how important it is to make certain lifestyle decisions a habit so that you can continue to be making the right choices for yourself without having to force yourself to do so.</p></div><div style="width:100%;padding:0 20px" class="s-sm"><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__QH8u6 "><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Top__99yYY"><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Thumb__QAK7l"><img src="https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL500_.jpg" alt="モモ cover art"/></div><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Toggle__aLc_p"><button class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__ToggleBtn__zpe3w SingleAudio_SingleAudio__ToggleBtn--lg__n3mHh" aria-pressed="false" aria-label="Play モモ"><svg class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__PlayIcon__6iXyX" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 60 60" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><polygon class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__PlayLeft__cwmeS" points="10 0 60 30 60 30 10 60"></polygon><polygon class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__PlayRight__xvC4e" points="10 20 50 30 50 30 10 40"></polygon></svg></button></div></div><audio class="audio_B08J7QZHKM"><source src="https://samples.audible.com/bk/iwan/000016/bk_iwan_000016_sample.mp3"/></audio><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Player__lmoF1"><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Progress__nNJmn"><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__ProgressInner__9NCUf" style="transform:scaleX(0);pointer-events:none"></div><span class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Elapsed__TRp8s">00:00</span><span class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Total__LY1Da">00:00</span></div><div class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Deets__eme5m"><span class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Title__f2Od8">モモ</span><span class="SingleAudio_SingleAudio__Info__v8Ck5">By: <!-- -->ミヒャエル・エンデ, 大島 かおり<!-- --> / Narrated by: <!-- -->高山 みなみ</span></div><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="100%" 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She was a practicing corporate lawyer, helping to launch Audible’s services for customers in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, when she was asked to take on the role of country manager for our Japan service. We chatted with Osaka about that decision, the importance of self-awareness and speaking up in having a fulfilling career, and the exciting things the team in Japan have been working on."}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"6Xn3LPTSiVp0dKVYAHu1jr","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:10:19.590Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:10:19.590Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### You have a fascinating career journey, from practicing law to being country manager for Japan. How did that come about? \n\nI went to college in Japan, then law school in the US at Columbia University. I took the New York State Bar but started my career in Japan working at a US law firm on mergers and acquisitions and other corporate deals. I did this for about 15 years, then thought, “Is this what I want to do for the rest of my life? Or should I try something new?” I’d been advising companies on international transactions, so I felt confident I could advise a company that wanted to do business in Japan. I found out Audible was looking for legal counsel for APAC and that really excited me. That was in 2015.\n\nMaybe two months into my role, Audible launched its service for Japanese customers, so it was a quick ramp-up. I just absorbed as much as I could and worked closely with my business colleagues on the launch. I also worked closely with Australian law firms to learn their legal landscape, so I could flag potential issues for the Australia and APAC business.\n\nI was surprised by how integrated I was into business issues as well as legal ones, and I was having fun being a part of building something. For my first two years, I was working closely with Matthew Gain, who had been the Australia country manager before he moved into an APAC leadership role. He approached me one day and said something like, “I think you’d be really good on the business side,” and he suggested I challenge myself to step into the Japan country manager position. \n\nIt was so encouraging to have the people I was working with believe in me like that—but I really had to think about it. I talked to different people at Audible, and to my family, and they could hear the excitement in my voice when I talked about the role. But I knew it would be a very steep learning curve: everything from putting together a budget, to tracking the monthly metrics, to understanding the various functions and how all the teams interact. As much as I was advising and understanding the business from a legal perspective, being a country manager would require a deep knowledge and experience of all these other areas.\n\nMatthew was my mentor and said, “I’ll help you learn all that.” I watched everything he did. I had a lot of one-on-ones with people around me who said I could reach out any time, like Leanne Cartwright-Bradford, who recently became Head of Operations, APAC, when Matthew moved to a leadership role for our EU marketplaces. I felt like I had a support network that helped me through the transition. \n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"1FbzTsZbYatcAhxN4H9z42","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:10:48.316Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:10:48.316Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### You were country manager for Japan for two years and then you did something pretty awesome, advocating for your success and well-being by asking for time to learn some things critical to your role. Can you describe your thought process around that decision?\n\nI was in the country manager role for about two years, and it was a whirlwind. During that time, we changed from an all-you-can-listen model to a credit model. About a year later, we were still moving forward at full steam, and I realized that to become the leader I knew the business needed, I wanted to dive deeper into specific functions of the business to provide strategic advice. First, I went to the content team to advise them on building a strong pipeline of titles for the Japanese marketplace. I then moved to advise marketing in order to better understand that team. I learned how to build a brand strategy and test it. I worked with customer experience and learned how to encourage more engagement. For about a year and a half I did this sort of tour, exploring all these areas of the business, hands-on, that I couldn’t go deep enough into as country manager. I was really fortunate to be able to do that. \n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"p4atZ1GagJHmKWuz0Sp8p","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:11:20.433Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:11:20.433Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### We often talk about career paths at Audible being less of a straight-up ladder and more of a journey with twists and turns and discoveries, like yours. Do you feel like an advocate for this model now? \n\nYes, because at some point the straight-up ladder ends. This builds more depth in some ways. Audible is great because it encourages that. Who would have thought, 15 years ago starting my career in legal, this would be my path? I’ve enjoyed it. There’s no right path; it’s whatever is right for you. The skills you build along the way will help you in your journey. \n\nAudible’s leadership made an effort to help me find that path, and it prepared me to return to the country manager role in December 2021. It’s been a totally different experience the second time around. \n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"3CyBHHj7tIDoPSX2dhSiL0","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:12:52.935Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:12:52.935Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":7,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### What are some things your team has achieved recently?\n\nThe audio entertainment wave has hit Japan these last couple years, and we are thrilled to be able to deliver this to our customers! We moved back to the all-you-can-listen model, with some fresh new content. Already, customers’ reactions have been very positive, so we’re looking forward to celebrating that. \n\nRight now we’re excited about amplifying the strong voices of women, which we’ve done recently in honor of International Women’s Day in March and National Women’s Day in April. We’ve had six female celebrities narrate works by an iconic feminist poet, [Noriko Ibaragi](https://www.audible.com/author/Noriko-Ibaraki/B001I7JUUU). (You can hear a sample, in Japanese, [here](https://www.youtube.com/shorts/w4S259EkVpw).) We’re so glad to be able to support female creatives like this.\n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"73zuW76xBPmSMXJvVI065d","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:13:27.394Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:13:27.394Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":3,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### What do you like to do outside of work?\n\nI love to play sports, so I make sure to get to my tennis lessons! On weekends I watch movies with my kids. I have one who just left for college in New York, and my younger one is in seventh grade. I try to make sure we spend lots of time together because it goes by so quickly.\n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"LGHdlj0mNOjmXzKTswWdj","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:15:06.972Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:15:06.972Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":6,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### What are some of your favorite listens?\n\nI recently listened to [Momo](https://www.audible.com/pd/Audiobook/B08J7QZHKM) by Michael Ende (a fantasy novel written in 1973 that's been lauded for its prescience), and just loved how deep the story really is, even though it feels like a children’s story on its face. And [Atomic Habits](https://www.audible.com/pd/Atomic-Habits-Audiobook/1524779261) by James Clear reinforces how important it is to make certain lifestyle decisions a habit so that you can continue to be making the right choices for yourself without having to force yourself to do so.\n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"35Fxy0HQCgLHAT6oj4DSig","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-06-08T14:15:59.801Z","updatedAt":"2022-06-08T14:15:59.801Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":2,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsAudio"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"asin":"B08J7QZHKM"}}],"related":[{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"2B7HcvfCLtKfXQ1pGfY61y","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-25T20:55:04.485Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-27T13:01:28.771Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":17,"revision":2,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsPost"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"This UX Designer Helps to Make Audible More Accessible for All","slug":"this-ux-designer-helps-to-make-audible-more-accessible-for-all","seo":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"7N3yfUtMZTMs5NWi3V3XxQ","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-25T20:39:01.490Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T20:39:01.490Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":5,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"pageSeo"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"pageTitle":"This UX Designer Helps to Make Audible More Accessible for All ","pageDescription":"Growing up, Lisa Del Monte saw how much technology would have helped their grandfather, and it inspired them to make a difference in people’s lives. Now they lead Audible’s UX accessibility efforts, helping customers to connect with cherished stories.","openGraphImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"4NP3eYyqGRZ7HY9ICgZ62u","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-05-25T20:37:16.659Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T20:37:16.659Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":31,"revision":1,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible_newsroom_lisadelmonte","description":"Audible employee Lisa Del Monte sits on the edge of a stone balustrade looking direct to camera while wearing a black and white polka-dotted buttoned down collared shirt. Behind Del Monte, a city can be seen with a wide river flowing through it and white buildings with orange domes. ","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/4NP3eYyqGRZ7HY9ICgZ62u/f599c54533726eb42d49e226f1d9d39c/newsroom_lisadelmonte2__002_.png","details":{"size":1302435,"image":{"width":1060,"height":728}},"fileName":"newsroom_lisadelmonte2 (002).png","contentType":"image/png"}}}}},"excludedMarkets":["Brazil"],"excerpt":"Growing up, Lisa Del Monte saw how much technology would have helped their grandfather, and it inspired them to make a difference in people’s lives. Now they lead Audible’s UX accessibility efforts, helping customers to connect with cherished stories.","featuredImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"4NP3eYyqGRZ7HY9ICgZ62u","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-05-25T20:37:16.659Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T20:37:16.659Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":31,"revision":1,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible_newsroom_lisadelmonte","description":"Audible employee Lisa Del Monte sits on the edge of a stone balustrade looking direct to camera while wearing a black and white polka-dotted buttoned down collared shirt. Behind Del Monte, a city can be seen with a wide river flowing through it and white buildings with orange domes. ","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/4NP3eYyqGRZ7HY9ICgZ62u/f599c54533726eb42d49e226f1d9d39c/newsroom_lisadelmonte2__002_.png","details":{"size":1302435,"image":{"width":1060,"height":728}},"fileName":"newsroom_lisadelmonte2 (002).png","contentType":"image/png"}}},"date":"2022-05-25","category":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"5Zl5FWA95SqQiqQmaIqO4o","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2018-10-23T16:42:43.302Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-29T13:08:02.278Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":5,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCategory"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Inside Audible","slug":"inside-audible"}},"pageBuilder":[{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"3W15IfVkzLOa0pD9m0daE8","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-25T20:41:21.836Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T20:48:20.902Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":6,"revision":2,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"Lisa Del Monte has always been interested in the potential of technology to have a positive impact on people’s lives. When they were growing up in Austria, their grandfather had a degenerative neurological disease that caused him to gradually lose brain function. “He was communicating by pointing to an alphabet sheet, and eventually, just by blinking. Being able to use an eye-tracking device would have been a game-changer,” they say, lamenting that our current technologies in speech and visual impairment were not readily available at the time. Now Del Monte is making sure that all Audible users can have their own game-changing experiences. \n\nDel Monte joined Audible as a visual designer in early 2016, working on our desktop and mobile websites. Right away they started researching accessibility, which they explain is “a way to enable people with diverse abilities” to use Audible. “Audible’s product is itself an accessibility tool,” they point out, “as audio entertainment is enormously helpful to visually impaired people.” Accessibility includes considerations such as choosing colors and contrast levels that are visually easier to parse, removing the difficulties that can come from navigating small phone screens with our fingers, and examining cultural assumptions to be sure design is inclusive. For example, “universal icons that can be understood by all demographics and backgrounds,” they say. \n\nWhen Audible’s UX team was migrating the website to a new design system, it presented an opportunity for Del Monte to apply the accessibility best practices they’d been learning. “My manager really encouraged me to spearhead the accessibility part of it and to educate the team,” they say. “I sort of became our spokesperson for accessibility: I did a talk on accessibility at a Write/Speak/Code event in 2018, and at a Women in Product meet-up.”\n\nAlthough they loved the work they were doing, Del Monte decided they “needed something more active,” and that they wanted to help people in a new way: by becoming a firefighter. They left Audible in late 2019 and began training, but the pandemic hit and changed their plans. For several months, they worked as an EMT in the Catskills, until they realized that they could resume their UX accessibility role at Audible, given the new remote work model.\n\nWhen they returned to Audible, they found that several teams were pursuing accessibility on behalf of our customers so those teams formed a cross-functional task force including UX designers, quality assurance, developers, product, and more. The group conducted research to learn how cognitively and visually impaired users found the experience of using Audible’s service, from content discovery to purchasing to listening to titles. This helps because “you can create inclusion by recognizing where in the process people get alienated,” explains Del Monte. \n\nNow Del Monte is embedded in the design systems team, ensuring that from the start, Audible’s products and features employ best practices for the most inclusive experience. “UX happens very early in the project lifecycle, so if we get that right it sets us up for success.” This approach benefits all users because their team is also solving for issues most people will face, like making it easier to see the screen when standing in bright sunshine. “If you design for edge cases like motor and visual impairment, you’re creating a better product for everyone else.”\n\nDel Monte loves that accessibility is a high priority at Audible, and even has office hours to advise colleagues on it. They point out that accessibility “is baked into the language of Audible’s [People Principle](https://www.audible.com/about/people-principles) of Customer Obsession: ‘Audible inspires our listeners’ dreams and feelings, as well as serves their needs. That our customers depend on us is an honor, and we work to ensure our service exceeds their expectations in every way.’” \n\nIn that spirit, our customer support team sought Del Monte’s help improving our help center pages for accessibility, and created a core team of accessibility specialists who can advise Audible customers who may need extra assistance or who use assistive technology. Customers have been telling the team about the difference this is making in their lives. One customer shared: “I'm an 81-year-old retired literature professor with significant vision problems that impair both my reading capacity and my ability to use computers. I received Audible as a gift three years \\[ago], and have no words to describe the difference it's made in the quality of my life. It's enabled me to reconnect with magnificent works that I once taught and cherished. I could not manage to continue ordering the books without the help of your wonderful telephone customer service.” \n\nThis kind of feedback lets Del Monte know our accessibility efforts are on the right track and making a difference. Thinking about how their accessibility work impacts others reminds them of their mother and grandmother helping Del Monte’s grandfather communicate, and of experiencing firsthand the challenges he faced, which they say made them a more empathetic person. “It's a different way to assist people, and I can see myself doing this a long time. It’s rewarding, seeing the improvements, hearing from users how much they were helped.” \n"}}]}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"7AblW81ykfJhPupQHTIYkk","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-24T11:35:57.739Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-27T13:01:27.395Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":54,"revision":17,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsPost"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Cory Booker and Don Katz on Rethinking Cities and Creating Audible","slug":"don-katz-recognized-as-business-visionary-honoree-at-pen-america-gala","seo":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"2PjIgKuElcDUdvErBubfve","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-23T20:02:52.777Z","updatedAt":"2022-08-25T13:34:53.763Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":12,"revision":4,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"pageSeo"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"pageTitle":"Cory Booker and Don Katz on Rethinking Cities and Creating Audible","pageDescription":"At the PEN Gala, Senator Cory Booker recognized Don Katz for founding Audible and the visionary actions he took as its leader, like moving the company to Newark in 2007. Katz elaborated on Audible’s remarkable success story. Watch the remarks.","openGraphImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"7bNBMUikKxqMnZY6SJivbK","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-05-23T20:02:38.889Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T13:33:30.148Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":38,"revision":2,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible_Newsroom_DonKatz-PEN","description":"Audible founder and Executive Chairman Don Katz stands on the red carpet at the PEN America gala with Senator Cory Booker. Katz is wearing a tuxedo. Booker is wearing a black suit and tie. Behind them, the backdrop is white with the PEN America logo repeating across it with the tagline, \"The Freedom to Write.\"","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/7bNBMUikKxqMnZY6SJivbK/76d053e4a5d3892460856f0f9f4fb28b/Newsroom_PENGala_DonandCory_.png","details":{"size":890862,"image":{"width":1060,"height":728}},"fileName":"Newsroom_PENGala_DonandCory .png","contentType":"image/png"}}}}},"excludedMarkets":["Brazil"],"schema":{"name":"Cory Booker and Don Katz on Rethinking Cities and Creating Audible","@type":"VideoObject","@context":"https://schema.org","duration":"PT2H59M55S","contentUrl":"https://youtu.be/yImyr9NUWf4?t=3555","uploadDate":"2022-05-24T00:00:00-05:00","description":"At the PEN Gala, Senator Cory Booker recognized Don Katz for founding Audible and the visionary actions he took as its leader, like moving the company to Newark in 2007. Katz elaborated on Audible’s remarkable success story. Watch the remarks."},"excerpt":"At the PEN Gala, Senator Cory Booker recognized Don Katz for founding Audible and the visionary actions he took as its leader, like moving the company to Newark in 2007. Katz elaborated on Audible’s remarkable success story. Watch the remarks.","featuredImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"7bNBMUikKxqMnZY6SJivbK","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-05-23T20:02:38.889Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T13:33:30.148Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":38,"revision":2,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible_Newsroom_DonKatz-PEN","description":"Audible founder and Executive Chairman Don Katz stands on the red carpet at the PEN America gala with Senator Cory Booker. Katz is wearing a tuxedo. Booker is wearing a black suit and tie. Behind them, the backdrop is white with the PEN America logo repeating across it with the tagline, \"The Freedom to Write.\"","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/7bNBMUikKxqMnZY6SJivbK/76d053e4a5d3892460856f0f9f4fb28b/Newsroom_PENGala_DonandCory_.png","details":{"size":890862,"image":{"width":1060,"height":728}},"fileName":"Newsroom_PENGala_DonandCory .png","contentType":"image/png"}}},"featuredImageCaption":"Watch Senator Cory Booker's and Don Katz's remarks at the PEN America Gala.","featuredImageYouTubeLink":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yImyr9NUWf4\u0026t=2930s","date":"2022-05-24","category":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"3DhH0vWEvuUUimgKcwg8w2","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2018-10-23T16:42:45.676Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-29T12:53:25.887Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":18,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCategory"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Highlights","slug":"highlights"}},"pageBuilder":[{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"3PMa4Htyqi9dTVKpTxgTth","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-23T18:20:55.711Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T14:20:51.837Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":69,"revision":21,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"*At the 2022 PEN America Gala, Audible Founder and Executive Chairman Don Katz was celebrated as the Business Visionary Honoree. As shared by PEN, “Under Don’s vision and leadership, Audible has spent over 25 years at the forefront of the continuous evolution of storytelling, having commercialized the world’s first-ever digital audio player, created a new category for a wealth of creativity and diversity of perspective, catapulted audiobooks into the entertainment mainstream, and in so doing supported thousands of writers and actors.”* \n\n*Senator Cory Booker, in introducing Katz, which you can [watch here](https://youtu.be/yImyr9NUWf4?t=2930), called him an \"extraordinary disrupter.\" He continued, \"Audible was the first major company that moved its headquarters to Newark when I was Mayor. I hope that you all can understand how radical that was. People had given up on Newark. People ignored our city. People declared our city dead. When I had become Mayor, the idea that a corporation would move its headquarters there is a testimony to the visionary understanding of conscious capitalism. Don Katz saw what others had rendered invisible. He saw the worth, he saw the dignity, he saw the strength and potential of our city. He understood that Newark was us. That the American dream wasn’t secure anywhere unless it was secure everywhere.\"* \n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"iBx5Eu5iK5wUmKtS0j1zs","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-25T13:07:15.375Z","updatedAt":"2023-01-10T18:13:58.930Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":7,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"*These are Katz’s remarks from the event—[watch](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yImyr9NUWf4\u0026t=3559s) or read in full.*"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"1Q2Kz1b8S1KYC8UEAmjHSi","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-05-25T12:07:40.393Z","updatedAt":"2022-05-25T12:07:40.393Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":2,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"Back in 1997, I met a law student who told me he had been dissuaded from founding a non-profit in Newark after graduation. Instead he planned to unseat an entrenched City Council member. I’m from Chicago, so the idea of an outsider winning a local ward election – let alone a former Stanford football player who was also a Rhodes Scholar and a Yale Law grad – caused me to say to my wife Leslie after dinner, “that Cory Booker seems like great guy, but I give it a year until he’s working at some investment bank on Wall Street.”\n\nAnd as if he heard this and took it as a challenge, Cory has spent years proving me wrong. Thank you, Senator, for your courageous moral leadership at a time when your voice is so desperately needed. And thank you too for introducing me and for inspiring me and what Audible stands for.\n\nBeing part of Newark’s renaissance has indeed become a corporate purpose down to Audible’s core written principles. Our focus on structural inequality has led to an array of direct, programmatic and preferably scalable initiatives, some of which you heard about from Cory just now. \n\nThank you to my ever-persuasive friend Markus Dohle and to Suzanne Nossel and everyone at PEN America. Freedom of expression and the right to tell the truth are clearly in the balance, as repressed voices and destructive digital discourse mark the moment. PEN stands against these dark tides. And so does Audible.\nBeing here tonight with so many people I have known throughout two careers, I think of a few of the many people who touched the course of my life who are gone. \n\nThe great editor Aaron Asher convinced me to spend two of the six years it took me to finish my book [*Home Fires*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Home-Fires-Audiobook/B00KCXF6TU), completely rewriting it to become a more accessible story. I think Audible occurred in part because, however subconsciously, I didn’t think I could top *Home Fires* and its rendition of the long-form, character-driven narrative non-fiction style I was able to sharpen as a writer during *Rolling Stone* magazine’s first decade.\n\nAs the Senator mentioned, my writing life and Audible were inspired on so many levels by Ralph Ellison, who taught me during long tutorials how to understand the music I heard when I read. \n\nFrom Ralph I knew that there was a reason that Newark-born Stephen Crane wrote with genius in an American voice when his contemporary Henry James did not. Ralph taught that truly *American* writers could hear the verbal democracy of soldiers and street urchins talking, the occasionally-true salesmanship of peddlers, the overt lies in tall tales told around campfires, and lamenting in the fields. \n\nIn 1996, two years after Ralph died, when the broadband internet was still years away, a tiny crew of true believers – two of them here tonight – came together to compose a vision statement for Audible, though back then the company was called Audible Words. The statement said: *“We will build a new medium that will redefine and enhance the nature of spoken information, education, entertainment, and other modes of verbal expression that we will help create ourselves… We will change the way an individual controls the what, when, where and how of the words they hear.”*\n\nMy personal pantheon includes Robin Williams, who believed in me and the Audible dream at the beginning and created short-form Audible Original programming years before the word podcast was coined. We had no money in 1999, so Robin invested his own money in a vision of the possible almost everyone I knew thought indicated I had lost my mind. Robin was paid in warrants, and on national TV together once, he pointed at me and said I’d paid him in confederate currency.\n\nTwo years later I got to know Steve Jobs. Steve admired the technologies supporting the digital audio player Audible invented and began selling in 1997, more than four years earlier. But what we bonded over most often was our shared belief in the emotional, even primordial power of being read to. We agreed that nobody could listen to E.B. White read *Charlotte’s Web* in his strangely affecting Yankee way and not cry. Steve understood that once you can actually hear the syncopations in language, when well-wrought words are refracted through artfully nuanced performance, you will want to have this experience every day. \n\nThe earliest Apple iPods were for transferring physical music to a digital device, but they also worked with Audible’s audio service, because Steve agreed that given the vibrant wonderland of American vernacular expression, the spoken word deserved to ascend to the media mainstream alongside music, all permutations of film and TV…and books.\n\nAudible, for many tens of millions of people around the world, has become so much a way to read that few of them bother to describe the habit as listening. For many, the service is an antidote to loneliness and an escape from the myriad traumas of the times, and it is a way to learn how to live a more fulfilled or successful life. It is a way for countless children – and families with children struggling with language processing challenges – to learn. \n\nIt is gratifying that Audible has driven billions of dollars into the business of culture. And it is gratifying that Audible has directly paid more than 60,000 talented performers over the past decade (as Senator Booker reported), along with many more authors, journalists, playwrights, screenwriters, poets and many of the greatest musicians who tell stories via our [Words + Music series](https://www.audible.com/series/Words-Music-Audiobooks/B08JD4NTB1). \n\nNew [Audible Original](https://www.audible.com/ep/audible-originals) listening experiences written to our singularly intimate aesthetic have been created by many in this room. Our global Audible’s around the world – like Audible Suno, our Hindi language Audible Original service and programs like [Audible Theater](https://www.audible.com/ep/theater) – unveil stellar new productions by the day. Search on Audible’s vast [LGBTQ+ Originals repertoire]( https://www.audible.com/ep/pride-audiobooks), or our deep [*Raising Black Voices*](https://www.audible.com/ep/raising-black-voices) collection, to get a sense of our efforts over many years to capture new and historical voices that *ought* to be heard. \n\nWhile it is in many ways so much water under the proverbial bridge, during those early years – more than a decade when Audible was fragile and near-death experiences were constant – skepticism about the idea was the least of Audible’s challenges. Aggressive and often self-destructive business resistance joined moralistic outrage over what was seen as a challenge to text itself—or as it was occasionally posed – to “civilization” itself. \n\nIt should be said that for centuries fear and *active resistance* to change have been a primary institutional reaction to new, invariably technology-born modes of expression that convey information, education, entertainment and art. Written words, whether chiseled into stone or conveyed via the introduction of handwriting centuries ago, were resisted by the stewards of cultural authority from the Greeks through St. Augustine, when reading silently was thought to be the devil’s work. The invention of early video recording technologies and cable television – which the movie industry tried to erase in the courts – and just about all technology-spawned media inventions, including the way Audible created and embraced digital technology – came under attack.\n\nBut look more closely at these many historical junctures, and you will see the most creative people bringing their talent close to these moments to give rise to Golden Ages. This was true for early radio – as the most gifted vaudevillians created a new listening aesthetic. There were golden ages for silent film, for recorded music, for talkies, for on demand episodic television, and now for Audible and the listening revolution.\n\nAs a universe of millions of free chat shows and fast-twitch social media interactions distract from the deeper purposes and often electrifying words and voices that that the best professional creators can turn into literate listening and original art, the most gifted writers and performers and their most creative intermediaries should now draw closer together. \n\nWhether to redress the darkness of the times as PEN continues to do, or to capture and convey voices that ought to be heard after years of marginalization…or just to tell new stories worthy of the telling…we have a lot of work to do together. \n\nIf there are people here tonight who have good ideas for Audible or me, or if you want to explore the profound power of giving people a chance by moving a company to join us in Newark, or if you want to come see the Audible Newark campus including the 80,000 square foot Cathedral we’ve renovated as a home for our technologists – please get in touch.\nThank you, Cory. Thank you, PEN America. Thanks to my one-of-a-kind family here tonight, who believed in me always over two careers largely working without a net. \n\nAnd thanks to the many people here today who have touched the varied chapters of my life in so many ways. \n"}}]}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"3l3vELXZscC7T2whWkP87K","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-03-24T17:53:16.055Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-27T13:01:17.247Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":19,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsPost"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Sibylle Schwarz Uses Management Skills to Create Community and Connection","slug":"sibylle-schwarz-uses-management-skills-to-create-community-and-connection","seo":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"22f2euXHAnrU9xjMD4Itjv","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-03-24T17:43:43.603Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T18:36:44.878Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":8,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"pageSeo"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"pageTitle":"Sibylle Schwarz Uses Management Skills to Create Community and Connection","pageDescription":"As a program manager, Sibylle Schwarz is the crucial link between teams, offices, and marketplaces. Based in Berlin, she helps develop and roll out new products and features for listeners while also supporting Audible’s impact initiatives in the EU. ","openGraphImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"W7bQl5NzEbmILxJNiTERU","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-03-24T17:43:39.575Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T17:43:39.575Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":25,"revision":1,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible-newsroom_sibylle-schwarz","description":"Audible employee Sibylle Schwarz stands in the outdoor patio of a restaurant with greenery behind her, black table umbrellas overhead, and lights strung across the background. She is looking directly to the camera and smiling. She has short cropped blond hair and is wearing dark framed glasses, a navy shirt and a black blazer. She has a red purse slung over her shoulder.","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/W7bQl5NzEbmILxJNiTERU/b6cd4f1f4d57345f8f0a43e1c8308c68/newsroom_sibylle-schwarz.png","details":{"size":974805,"image":{"width":1092,"height":728}},"fileName":"newsroom_sibylle-schwarz.png","contentType":"image/png"}}}}},"excludedMarkets":["Brazil"],"excerpt":"As a program manager, Sibylle Schwarz is the crucial link between teams, offices, and marketplaces. Based in Berlin, she helps develop and roll out new products and features for listeners while also supporting Audible’s impact initiatives in the EU. ","featuredImage":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"W7bQl5NzEbmILxJNiTERU","type":"Asset","createdAt":"2022-03-24T17:43:39.575Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T17:43:39.575Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":25,"revision":1,"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Audible-newsroom_sibylle-schwarz","description":"Audible employee Sibylle Schwarz stands in the outdoor patio of a restaurant with greenery behind her, black table umbrellas overhead, and lights strung across the background. She is looking directly to the camera and smiling. She has short cropped blond hair and is wearing dark framed glasses, a navy shirt and a black blazer. She has a red purse slung over her shoulder.","file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/3sa0209epr53/W7bQl5NzEbmILxJNiTERU/b6cd4f1f4d57345f8f0a43e1c8308c68/newsroom_sibylle-schwarz.png","details":{"size":974805,"image":{"width":1092,"height":728}},"fileName":"newsroom_sibylle-schwarz.png","contentType":"image/png"}}},"date":"2022-03-24","category":{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"5Zl5FWA95SqQiqQmaIqO4o","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2018-10-23T16:42:43.302Z","updatedAt":"2023-09-29T13:08:02.278Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":5,"revision":3,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCategory"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"title":"Inside Audible","slug":"inside-audible"}},"pageBuilder":[{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"6XuhKoe1Q2DaJNTII9nCxl","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-03-24T15:18:30.507Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T18:32:31.547Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":19,"revision":4,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"Sibylle Schwarz discovered audiobooks on her daily commute from San Francisco to Silicon Valley, nearly twenty years ago. She’d come to the US from Germany and was working for a tech company, first in reception and then in a customer service capacity. Schwarz took this experience halfway around the world to New Zealand, where she transitioned into project management roles, and after several years returned to Germany to join Amazon as a team lead for the EU, working in the digital and device space. When she transferred to Audible seven years ago to join the EU program management team, it was like coming full circle. \n\n“It’s a dream job,” she says, considering her love of literature and audiobooks. “It's creative, but caters to a lot of my strengths, interests, and skills in a perfect combination.” \n\nIn her role, Schwarz gets to collaborate with a wide variety of people from across the world. “Simply put, I make sure everyone knows who does what, by when,” she says. In addition to being responsible for launching new products and features in our EU marketplaces, her role has evolved into an even more strategic one, delivering larger international projects, such as coordinating the launch of Audible’s Spain service.\n\nDespite the challenges of managing projects that involve multiple languages and time zones, with much work done behind-the-scenes, Schwarz relishes her contribution to the creative process. “The ability to have interesting, engaging, challenging conversations with people, finding solutions while throwing around ideas—to me that is so much fun.” She’s even attended studio sessions, listening as audiobooks are created, and had the chance to narrate with her teammates on an [Audible Original children’s classic](https://www.audible.de/pd/Die-wunderbare-Reise-des-kleinen-Nils-Holgersson-mit-den-Wildgaensen-Hoerbuch/B09RT4JGXJ?ipRedirectOverride=true\u0026overrideBaseCountry=true\u0026pf_rd_p=fd2675e1-5075-4c05-b564-b6dd3a393128\u0026pf_rd_r=AQ4AG6ZVEGMPVAFSPD8R). \n\nSchwarz is drawn to the evolving nature of work at Audible, because it means that an employee’s role and ability to make an impact can evolve as well. “I'm really happy to have that opportunity to grow and to utilize my strengths,” she says, “but also to turn them into something that can influence things more broadly.” \n\nOne of those areas in which Schwarz wants to use her strengths is community. “I've always sought ways to get engaged and support others,” she says. After graduating high school, she served a voluntary social year, where she worked with people with disabilities and children who were refugees of war. While in New Zealand, she founded a computer hub at an urban soup kitchen, providing internet access and digital literacy training to people without homes and in need. She’s expanded the Berlin chapter of our employee-led impact group, Women@Audible, where she served as co-lead, and she represents the voice of EU employees as Audible evolves our [Hub + Home model](https://www.audiblecareers.com/hub-home-hybrid-workplace) for hybrid working. \n\n“As a lifelong project manager,” she explains, “I want to use my skills and experience beyond product launches and make a real difference.” Now Schwarz has taken a central role helping to spearhead Audible’s impact initiatives in the EU through our [Global Center for Urban Development (GCUD)](https://www.audible.com/about/impact). “We all align on the greater vision of amplifying what Audible can mean beyond what it does, and driving forward equality and empowerment for all,” she says. \n\nWhen asked what advice she would give to anyone thinking of working at Audible, Schwarz asserts that passion for audio storytelling is, of course, important. “It's so easy to meet a random person and immediately get into a passionate discussion about books or stories. I've never experienced this anywhere else—it’s like a tissue that's connecting us all.” \n\nAlso: stay curious. “Embrace uncertainty, embrace change, embrace challenges—and be as authentically yourself as you can be, because you’ll be richly rewarded by bringing your own personality.”\n"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"5Un0Au2Zb38Osl66BQLEhx","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-03-24T15:20:33.947Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T15:23:52.285Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":9,"revision":2,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsCopyBlock"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"copy":"###### Schwarz’s Current Listen\n[*Feuer der Freiheit*](https://www.audible.com/pd/Feuer-der-Freiheit-Audiobook/3742417622) by Wolfram Eilenberger, which translates as *Fires of Freedom*, the story of four female philosophers as they developed their perspectives during the war. Says Schwarz, “It's a story of Simone de Beauvoir, Simone Weil, Hannah Arendt, and Ayn Rand. It's a mixture of their lives and stories through a very dark time in Europe. It’s so inspiring that they were living through these tough, life-threatening times, and yet they were not complaining—they were looking at how can we be more human; how can we be more kind. It is totally amazing.”"}},{"metadata":{"tags":[],"concepts":[]},"sys":{"space":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"Space","id":"3sa0209epr53"}},"id":"7HhrrstZM4vTDyJxytw9yA","type":"Entry","createdAt":"2022-03-24T15:21:16.402Z","updatedAt":"2022-03-24T15:21:16.402Z","environment":{"sys":{"id":"master","type":"Link","linkType":"Environment"}},"publishedVersion":2,"revision":1,"contentType":{"sys":{"type":"Link","linkType":"ContentType","id":"newsAudio"}},"locale":"en-US"},"fields":{"asin":"3742417622"}}]}}]}},"asinData":{"B08J7QZHKM":{"asin":"B08J7QZHKM","authors":[{"asin":"B000AQ4EIS","name":"ミヒャエル・エンデ"},{"name":"大島 かおり"}],"available_codecs":[{"enhanced_codec":"LC_64_22050_stereo","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"aax_22_64"},{"enhanced_codec":"LC_128_44100_stereo","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"aax_44_128"},{"enhanced_codec":"LC_64_44100_stereo","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"aax_44_64"},{"enhanced_codec":"format4","format":"Format4","is_kindle_enhanced":false,"name":"format4"},{"enhanced_codec":"LC_32_22050_stereo","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"aax_22_32"},{"enhanced_codec":"mp444128","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"mp4_44_128"},{"enhanced_codec":"mp42264","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"mp4_22_64"},{"enhanced_codec":"mp42232","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"mp4_22_32"},{"enhanced_codec":"mp44464","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":true,"name":"mp4_44_64"},{"enhanced_codec":"aax","format":"Enhanced","is_kindle_enhanced":false,"name":"aax"}],"content_delivery_type":"SinglePartBook","content_type":"Product","format_type":"unabridged","has_children":false,"is_adult_product":false,"is_listenable":true,"is_purchasability_suppressed":false,"is_vvab":false,"issue_date":"2020-11-20","language":"japanese","merchandising_summary":"時間どろぼうと、ぬすまれた時間を人間にとりかえしてくれた女の子モモのふしぎな物語。人間本来の生き方を忘れてしまっている現代の人々に〈時間〉の真の意味を問う、エンデの名作。","narrators":[{"name":"高山 みなみ"}],"product_images":{"500":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL500_.jpg"},"publication_datetime":"2020-11-20T00:00:00Z","publisher_name":"Audible Studios","release_date":"2020-11-20","runtime_length_min":766,"sample_url":"https://samples.audible.com/bk/iwan/000016/bk_iwan_000016_sample.mp3","sku":"BK_IWAN_000016","sku_lite":"BK_IWAN_000016","social_media_images":{"facebook":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL10_UR1600,800_CR200,50,1200,630_CLa%7C1200,630%7C513PulOZsFL.jpg%7C0,0,1200,630+82,82,465,465_PJAdblSocialShare-Gradientoverlay-largeasin-0to70,TopLeft,0,0_PJAdblSocialShare-AudibleLogo-Large,TopLeft,600,270_OU01_ZBLISTENING%20ON,617,216,52,500,AudibleSansMd,30,255,255,255.jpg","ig_bg":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL200_BL80_UR1080,2160.jpg","ig_static_with_bg":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL200_BL80_UR1080,2160_CLa%7C1080,2160%7C513PulOZsFL.jpg%7C0,0,1080,2160+288,614,500,500_PJAdblSocialShare-Gradientoverlay-Radial,TopLeft,0,0_PJAdblSocialShare-AudibleLogo-Small,TopLeft,290,461_ZBLISTENING%20ON,290,410,52,500,AudibleSansMd,34,255,255,255_ZB%E3%83%A2%E3%83%A2,290,1183,52,500,AudibleSansSm,32,255,255,255_ZB%E3%83%9F%E3%83%92%E3%83%A3%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A8%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%252C%20%E5%A4%A7%E5%B3%B6%20%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8A%E3%82%8A,290,1247,52,500,AudibleSansRg,28,255,255,255.jpg","ig_sticker":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71UyRin7-TL._CLa%7C614,913%7C513PulOZsFL.jpg%7C0,0,614,913+70,79,471,473_FMpng_PJAudible-logo-dk,BottomLeft,70,-100_ZA%E3%83%A2%E3%83%A2,70,560,65,500,AudibleSansSm,42,54,54,54_ZAby%20%E3%83%9F%E3%83%92%E3%83%A3%E3%82%A8%E3%83%AB%E3%83%BB%E3%82%A8%E3%83%B3%E3%83%87%252C%20%E5%A4%A7%E5%B3%B6%20%E3%81%8B%E3%81%8A%E3%82%8A,70,640,52,517,AudibleSansRg,32,0,0,0.png","twitter":"https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/513PulOZsFL._SL10_UR1600,800_CR200,50,1024,512_CLa%7C1024,512%7C513PulOZsFL.jpg%7C0,0,1024,512+67,67,376,376_PJAdblSocialShare-Gradientoverlay-twitter-largeasin-0to60,TopLeft,0,0_PJAdblSocialShare-AudibleLogo-Medium,TopLeft,490,223_OU01_ZBLISTENING%20ON,483,152,55,450,AudibleSansMd,32,255,255,255.jpg"},"title":"モモ","voice_description":"Standard Japanese"}},"pageType":"single","preview":false}},"page":"/newsroom/[...query]","query":{"query":["shima-osaka-shows-how-advocating-for-yourself-is-part-of-stepping-up"]},"buildId":"NrcR5TYzDzP93onDXBq1G","assetPrefix":"/about","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[93684],"gssp":true,"appGip":true,"locale":"en-US","locales":["en-US"],"defaultLocale":"en-US","scriptLoader":[]}</script></body></html>